HYDERABAD : There is a lot of critical information that is missing in your question here. When you say, you were scared of letting him near the baby, what did you do to keep them apart ? For how long was this practice on? Your dog’s attitude and approach towards your kid is not his fault, rather a behaviour he has learnt from you.
If you have consciously kept them apart then you are the one who has taught him to stay away and avoid the kid. Even the most gentle and friendliest of dogs will need to be monitored when interacting with a new-born or a toddler. Not because they will harm the child, but other factors like their size, nails or even tail wagging that can be quite overwhelming for a baby.
Controlled interaction does not mean prohibition or exclusion. It is okay for the dog and child to be within line of sight of each other in the same house without physical interaction. You, as a parent of both, should be casual around them. You should continue to familiarize the dog with the scent of the baby. Just being in the same room with you and the baby playing on the bed and the dog on the floor doing nothing still counts as interaction. What you need to achieve inclusivity.
To make him feel like the baby belongs to the pack, just as he does. If you had, at any point reacted with fear or anxiety when the dog is near the baby, voiced your anxiety, scolded your dog or any such nervous reactions, you would have unknowingly instilled a sense of fear and caution in the dog. Some people also try to physically discipline the dog in order to keep them away from the child.