Car Exhaust

[Rivers]

Hello, I am a new dad and stressed out.

When I was taking my 2 day old baby to the car with my wife and the nurse there was a idling flower delivery van in the area that was just putting a heavy car exhaust smell into the air. My newborn had to inhale this. As soon as we got close to the car we realized this exhaust. I quickly put the baby in the car and took off but my baby boy is so small. It just scares me that he had to inhale the nasty fumes.

I hope I am just going to a paranoid phase but I felt I should of control the situation better to perhaps tell the nurse lets bring the baby back inside until the air clears.

[Aquarius68]

Hey Rivers. Welcome. Nice to see another xy representative here ;-)

It will be one of many stresses in the days to come but it's done and you got him out quickly and if he isn't showing any signs he's almost surely fine but perhaps call the doctor to set your mind at ease.

One good thing to know is that what you were smelling wasn't carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide itself has no odor. So there are additives to natural gas and gasoline which create that smell so you know you're in potential danger long before things actually get dangerous.

I think your concern is good and warranted but I don't think a very brief exposure probably affected him. This is something to consider though for myself too. In our apartment we have a garage area where I park and sometimes when people start their cars in there it can get pretty fumy. Other people may let their car idle in there for several minutes before driving away further adding to it. It's reminded me there's yet one more thing to be mindful of. I guess maybe when appropriate and possible I myself should work some arrangement like: drive the car out of the garage to the drive then have my partner carry the baby to the car once already outside. Which may be more practical anyway (unless it's pouring rain).

Cheers good luck and many joys with your new one!

[Rivers]

Thanks for your reply and support!

[vishton]

Hi, Rivers.

I went through a stressed out dad time like the one your describe after we brought our first baby home. I wanted everything to be as perfect as it could be. Every bite of certified-organic-no-added-sugar-perfect food, every sip of direct-from-the-glacier-pure water, and, like you, even every breath of air. I have two things to say that might comfort you.

First, babies are really resilient. In many ways, they are more resistant to the nasties of our environment than we are. Their bodies are built for survival. Just wait until the baby starts walking... and falling... for evidence of that.

Second, your stress will pass too--or maybe you just get used to it. Either way, I suspect that you will stop noticing it soon. There's an old story about how to tell if someone is a first-, second-, or third-time parent by what they do if their child swallows a quarter. The first-timer calls 911 and rushes the child to the emergency room. The second-timer calls the pediatrician, who advises the parent that they should closely watch the child, but, unless their are any problems or pain, just wait for the quarter to pass. The third-timer gets the child's attention and says, "You owe me twenty-five cents, mister."

Hang tough,
Peter

[jocelynmadsen]

Oh yeah, it's just the overprotective phase, don't worry too much (though I know you will anyways!). It should pass. I heard of one dad disassembling doorknobs so he could clean the inside pieces, so you're not the only one to over-obsess. My brother-in-law is still overprotective and his kids are 5 and 6 years old. Every time they fall down while playing he runs over and checks them out, moving all their limbs and checking their head and torso to make sure they didn't scrape themselves or break anything. They just stand there thoroughly confused and then run off when he says they're OK! Of course he also has health problems due to stress, so that's probably just him! Bottom line is that you'll look back on this later and laugh. Until then, good luck, and get a good night's sleep!