Newborn

Baby hygiene: general indications

Mothers who have just given birth usually receive the basic instructions in the hospital for taking care of their baby and taking care of its hygiene. What seems relatively simple in the hospital suddenly becomes complex as soon as you return home. In fact, without the direct assistance of child nurses, doubts and worries, sometimes unfounded, begin to arise. Infants, in fact, are equipped with immune defenses and antibodies sufficient to face the external environment; however it is absolutely correct to follow the basic rules of hygiene.

General precautions

Avoid organizing large welcome parties for the newborn in the first days of life, but limit yourself to visits from the closest relatives such as grandparents and uncles.
When you receive visitors, ask your guests to remove their jacket and wash their hands before picking up the baby.
If any of your guests have a cold or a sore throat, kindly ask them to avoid snogging your little one.

The diaper change

After every poop or pee, the diaper needs to be replaced. A newborn normally soils at least 6 diapers a day. When you remove the diaper, you can remove the poop attached to the skin with wet wipes or with cotton soaked in water. After that, the baby should be washed with soap and water in the bathroom sink, resting it steadily on its stomach on one arm and soaping and rinsing it with the other hand. It’s normal to be a little awkward the first few days, but you will gain experience and confidence very quickly. Then dry with a towel dedicated only to the baby, paying particular attention to the groin creases. If the bottom is inflamed, before putting on a new diaper, you can apply some protective cream.

The genitals

Girls are more delicate than boys. When cleaning the genitals, care must be taken to carry out movements from front to back, to avoid the transport of germs from the anal area.
For boys it is not necessary to pull back the skin of the penis too much: it could be counterproductive, increasing the risk of infections. It is sufficient to wash carefully and move the skin only slightly to verify that there are no residues to be eliminated.

The umbilical cord

The stump of the cord should be cleaned with a sterile gauze soaked in denatured alcohol until it falls off, about twice a day. At each diaper change, it should then be wrapped in dry sterile gauze to prevent it from getting wet with the baby’s pee. If you notice redness or pus, contact your pediatrician right away.

The bath

The bath can be carried out from the day following the fall of the umbilical cord. It can also be done every day, but if you see that the child does not particularly appreciate it, you can also reduce the frequency.
Get yourself a baby tub and make sure it’s clean. Put some water inside, checking the temperature with your hand. It is not essential to buy a thermometer. Add a little liquid soap not too foamy, specifically for babies.
The bath is not just a moment of mere cleaning, but must also be understood as a moment of relaxation, of complicity between mum or dad and baby, of physical contact and fun.
After having rinsed the baby well, removing all the soap, dry the baby with a clean, soft towel, paying particular attention to the groin and underarm folds, between the fingers and toes, behind the ears.
Have the foresight to prepare everything necessary before starting the bath and never leave the baby unattended in the tub, not even for a single instant.

The creams

You can use a moisturizing cream, light and soft, not too pasty, for the whole body. In the cold months, moisturizing oils are also indicated. You can find many products sold in supermarkets or children’s shops on the market. Ask the pediatrician to recommend specific products only if the baby has extremely dry and dehydrated skin.
Do not use perfumes or perfumed creams and, above all, do not use talcum powder as the baby could have respiratory problems by inhaling the dust.

The nails

The first few days the nails are very soft and flake by themselves. To prevent the baby from scratching, you can remove the tips with a cardboard nail file. Absolutely do not use metal files, both for reasons of hygiene and because you risk hurting the baby a lot. After about a month, you can start cutting them using specific scissors with rounded tips.

The ears

The ears should be cleaned with a sterile gauze dipped in physiological water. Limit yourself to cleaning the auricle, i.e. the external part without going too much inside. Absolutely do not use cotton swabs until the child is small. You would risk hurting him in case of sudden movements.

The nose

Until the baby is a few weeks old, nothing specific needs to be done for the nose. If you really think it’s dirty, put a drop of physiological water in your nostrils. The newborn will reflexively sneeze, expelling the mucus. Only in the following months, if necessary, can you use the specific pumps to suck up the mucus.

The eyes

To prevent any conjunctivitis, frequent in the first days of life, you need to pay close attention to the eyes. Soak a sterile gauze in physiological water and pass only once from the outside to the inside (from the temples towards the nose). Never do the opposite movement because, if bacteria are present, you risk dragging them along the entire eye. In fact, these tend to settle in the inner part of the eye, the one towards the nose. The operation can be repeated two or three times a day. In case you see yellow secretions or suspect conjunctivitis, contact your pediatrician immediately.

Dr Kathryn Barlow

Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.

Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.

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