Question

I know thaI know that people handling infants should wash their hands before coming in contact with them, but when is it safe to relax those rules? I'm talking about just picking up a child and not putting hands on the face or skin. My husband seems to think that anyone coming in contact with our 8-month-old twin girls should have on full surgical gear. Please advise.

Answer

It is true that good hand-washing is the best thing we can all do to minimize the spread of germs. In your case, I would recommend that you wash your hands well often throughout the day, but especially before and after diaper changes with each girl, before handling any food, after you use the bathroom, etc. For any visitors, a good hand-washing before they pick up the girls is a reasonable request. The reality now with the age of your daughters is that they are undoubtedly getting around quite a bit, touching everything, and putting things in their mouth, so they are in greater contact with more germs. You want them to explore and learn, and you can't keep them in a germ-free bubble. But you can wash your hands often, wash the babies' hands often, and try to limit contact with people who are ill. I hope this helps.