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Is it safe? · Pregnancy Smart

How to safely introduce pets to a new baby

Assigned clinical reviewerSharyn Harrison· CNM, NPDraft · pending clinical reviewUpdated

What does the evidence say about introducing pets to a new baby?

  1. Children younger than 5 are named as a higher-risk group for illness from pets because they are more likely to get sick from germs animals carry, including roundworms and hookworms picked up from dog or cat feces in contaminated areas like sandboxes, and they should be supervised during all animal interactions. 1
  2. Basic hygiene habits matter once a baby shares a home with a pet: teach household members to wash hands after any animal contact, keep the pet from licking the baby's face or hands, and keep infants away from areas that may contain pet waste. 1
  3. Children are more likely than adults to be bitten by a dog and their injuries tend to be more severe, and most bites happen during ordinary interactions with a familiar, resident dog rather than a strange one, which is why the CDC advises never letting a young child, including an infant, interact with a dog unsupervised even a pet the family has had for years. 2
  4. A dog should not be disturbed while eating, sleeping, or caring for puppies, and should be left alone if it appears to be hiding, scared, sick, or seeking time away from people, since these are the situations in which even a normally gentle dog is most likely to bite. 2
  5. Children under 5 have the highest rate of serious dog bite injury of any age group, and the face is the most common injury site because of a young child's proportionally larger head, smaller stature, and instinct to bring their face close to an animal rather than move away. 3
  6. In a Japanese birth cohort of more than 66,000 children, indoor dog or cat exposure during the fetal period or early infancy was associated with a modestly lower chance of food allergy by age 3, while exposure to hamsters was linked to a higher chance of nut allergy specifically, a reminder that not all household pets carry the same pattern of risk. 4

Bringing a newborn home to a pet household

SituationWhat to do
First introductionSupervised, calm, on-leash if uncertain; let the pet approach at its own pace
Ongoing interactionNever leave an infant and a dog or cat alone together, even a longtime family pet
Pet is eating, sleeping, or with newborn puppiesDo not let the baby or other children approach; this is a common bite trigger
After any pet contactWash hands before touching the baby, feeding items, or the baby's face
Litter boxes and wasteKeep the baby's play and sleep areas separate from litter boxes and areas pets soil

Frequently asked questions

How do we introduce our resident dog to our newborn for the first time?

Keep the first meeting calm and supervised, with the dog on a leash if there's any uncertainty about its reaction, and let it sniff and investigate at its own pace rather than holding the baby directly up to it. Watch the dog's body language throughout, and separate them if the dog seems tense, and never leave them alone together even after a smooth first introduction.

At what point can we leave the baby and the family dog alone together unsupervised?

There isn't a specific age where unsupervised time becomes appropriate; CDC guidance is to never let a young child interact with a dog, even a familiar family pet, without supervision. Most dog bites to children happen with dogs the family already knows well, which is exactly why the supervision rule doesn't relax with familiarity.

Is a cat different from a dog when it comes to newborn safety?

The main cat-specific concerns are different from bite risk: keeping a cat from sleeping directly on or near an infant's face, litter box hygiene, and standard supervision. Cats are less associated with severe bite injury in the research on children's animal-bite injuries than dogs are, though scratches and supervised interaction still matter.

Will having a pet make my baby more or less likely to develop allergies?

The evidence leans toward a modestly protective association for dogs and cats specifically: a large Japanese cohort study linked fetal or early-infancy exposure to indoor dogs or cats with a somewhat lower chance of food allergy by age 3. That study relied on parent-reported allergy history rather than formal allergy testing, so read it as a reassuring data point rather than a reason to acquire a pet.

We have a pet hamster. Does the same reassurance apply?

Not necessarily. The same Japanese cohort study that found a protective association for dogs and cats found the opposite pattern for hamsters, which were linked to a higher chance of nut allergy specifically. Small rodents also carry their own separate hygiene considerations, so don't assume every household pet behaves the same way in the research.

What hygiene habits matter most once the baby is home?

Handwashing after any pet contact is the single most consistently recommended habit, along with keeping the pet from licking the baby's face or hands and keeping the baby away from areas that may contain pet waste. These are the same core habits that reduce the parasitic and bacterial infection risks CDC names for young children around pets generally.

What are the warning signs that our dog needs space from the baby?

Watch for a dog eating, sleeping, caring for puppies, hiding, or seeming scared, sick, or irritable, and avoid petting or approaching in any of those moments. These are the situations the CDC identifies as when even a normally gentle, familiar dog is most likely to bite.

Do we need to rehome a pet before bringing a newborn home?

Not based on this evidence; the guidance centers on supervision and hygiene rather than avoiding pets altogether. The exception is a pet with a documented history of aggression or biting, which is a separate conversation with a veterinarian or trainer rather than something general newborn-safety guidance can settle.

Related in the library

References

  1. Ways to Stay Healthy Around Animals

    CDC · https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/about/index.html

  2. Dogs

    CDC · https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/about/dogs.html

  3. Animal Bite Injuries in Children: Review of Literature and Case Series

    PMC · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5360807/

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.