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Hygiene rules for newborns: care and bathing. Video
A newborn baby is practically defenseless against the outside world. His well-being depends entirely on how sensitive he is, how quickly his basic needs are met and how well he is looked after. Of great importance for the health of the baby is not only timely feeding and walking in the fresh air, but also the observance of hygiene rules, the main of which is bathing.
Newborn care: bathing rules
How to handle the umbilical cord in a newborn
Discharge from the hospital, as a rule, is carried out on the 3rd-7th day after childbirth. In most cases, by that time, the remainder of the baby’s umbilical cord dries up and falls off on its own. A wound is formed at this place, which needs careful processing. It should be carried out 2 times a day until the navel stops getting wet and bleeding.
To process the umbilical cord you will need:
- hydrogen peroxide solution (3%);
- brilliant green or a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
- cotton swabs.
Before the procedure, it is important to wash your hands thoroughly so as not to introduce any infection into the opened umbilical wound. Parting the edges of the wound, wipe it with a cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide. It is necessary to remove from there all dried particles of blood and flaky skin. When the first stage of processing is completed, you need to moisten a clean cotton swab in a drying antiseptic solution (brilliant green or potassium permanganate) and lubricate the umbilical wound. Normally, the procedure is completely painless for the baby, and therefore should not cause him any discomfort. If the child cries during treatment, the edges of the wound look swollen or reddened, an unpleasant odor emanates from the navel, or purulent discharge is present, it is urgent to show the child to the pediatrician.
Children’s skin is very delicate to the touch, however, during the newborn period, it can peel off, thereby causing discomfort to the baby and frightening young inexperienced parents. Normally, this goes away on its own within two weeks, but additional moisturizing of the skin with baby oil will not be superfluous. It is better to wipe problem areas after bathing the child. It is important to ensure that skin peeling is not accompanied by the formation of wounds and cracks. They may indicate a medical condition, such as allergies.
A separate problem for parents is yellowish crusts on the baby’s head. They can make your hair look sticky and your skin unhealthy. To get rid of the crusts, half an hour before bathing, you should lubricate the child’s head with baby oil or fat cream, and then comb them out with a baby comb with soft bristles. After that, while bathing, the baby’s head will need to be washed with shampoo or foam.
All hygiene items for a newborn should be their own: soap, a towel, scissors for cutting nails, a hairbrush with soft bristles, a bath, diapers, etc.
Intimate hygiene of the baby
A newborn’s stool has a mushy consistency and can irritate the delicate skin of a baby. That is why every time after changing the diaper, the child should be washed and wiped dry. During the procedure, do not use soap, as it dries out the child’s skin and can cause cracks and wounds to form.
A newborn baby should be washed with running water from front to back. This is especially important when caring for a girl. The fact is that with the wrong direction of movement, there is a high probability that the smallest particles of feces will fall into the genitals. This can cause inflammation and other gynecological conditions.
After washing, give the child an air bath. The skin should “breathe” so that diaper rash and weeping wounds do not form on it later.
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