Keeping Infants Safe Around Pets

If you have a pet, consider letting it explore the baby’s room while you’re still pregnant, especially if you plan to let the pet into the room later.

When your baby comes home, always supervise interactions between your baby and pet to ensure the safety of both.

• Never leave your baby alone with a pet.
• Take your dog to an obedience trainer or talk to a local humane society about how to familiarize your dog or cat with a baby.
• Don’t let any pets sleep with your baby – this is a risk for suffocation, and an animal can easily hurt a baby (even accidentally).

Services related to this information:

• Contact your Public Health Nurse for immunizations and other prenatal support.
• 811 HealthLine (Newfoundland & Labrador) – Call 811 or 1-888-709-2929 / TTY 1-888-709-3555