Clean from day one

From the first days of a child's life, it is especially important to properly care for the skin. How healthy she will be in the future depends on the efforts spent by her parents. And here the specialists are adamant-the care must be constant and of high quality. Babies have a very delicate skin, the epidermis is extremely vulnerable to infections, and the inflammatory process can be caused by almost any flora, since the immune system as a whole is not yet strong. The regularity of leaving is the same condition for both boys and girls. However, there are also significant differences in their toilet.

The list of basic hygiene procedures for babies includes daily skin care for the face, eyes, ears, genitals, as well as bathing. However, pediatricians do not agree on the last point. According to the methodological recommendation for students of the Faculty of Pediatrics on the discipline "Organization of medical supervision and care for a healthy and sick child" approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, daily bathing is necessary. However, as noted by a number of practitioners, due to the frequent wetting of the umbilical cord with water, the process of its mummification, falling off and complete healing of the umbilical wound slows down. Therefore, it is advised to abandon daily baths in favor of washing until the umbilical wound is completely overgrown. After its healing, after 1-2 days, you can bathe the baby every day with boiled water, the temperature of which is 37-38°.

Daily baths are not just about keeping the baby's body clean. They stimulate the regenerative and protective properties of the skin, as well as develop the nervous system and physical motor skills. The products of the vital activity of the sebaceous and sweat glands are washed off, as a result of which the skin fully breathes.

The newborn has a neutral pH (acid-base balance) of the skin in the first few months of life, so the baby is very vulnerable to bacteria and other infectious agents. Only by the second half of the year, a protective glycolipid mantle is formed on the skin, which is recommended to be protected from excessive use of detergents, as well as solutions of soda or potassium permanganate. Should I use herbal medicine-add decoctions of herbs during bathing and washing the newborn? This question is left to the discretion of the mothers. Pediatricians recommend being careful, because the baby may have a predisposition to allergies.

Here is what you will need for bathing your baby: a baby bath, a rinse container, a water thermometer, cotton wool, clean diapers, baby hygiene products, clean baby linen, a towel or a sheet.

Pediatricians advise to bathe the baby at the same time before the evening feeding. When immersing the baby in the bath, it is recommended to always support it with one hand so that the baby does not slip out, and wash it with the other. Try to avoid getting soap in your eyes. It is enough to wash your head 1-2 times a week.

The bathing process should last about 5-7 minutes. Rinse the child with water of the same temperature (37-38°) from the bucket. After the procedure, blot the baby's body with a soft towel or sheet. Then lubricate the skin folds with a lotion or cream appropriate to the child's age and skin type.
Clean your nose, trim your nails:
1. You can cut your baby's nails after the first month of life. And, of course, as they grow back. The period is different for everyone — someone has 3-4 days, and someone has about a week. It is recommended to do this with special children's tweezers or nail scissors with rounded ends. It is best to choose a time when the baby is calm or asleep. Hold each finger firmly during the process. Do not cut your nails "at the root", try to make the edge of the nail smooth, without notches, so that the child can not scratch himself.
2. To clean the nose from "crusts", it is necessary to use a cotton flagellum soaked in baby hygiene oil. Children's aspirators for removing snot are not recommended to be used often – there is a possibility of damaging the nasal mucosa.
3. Wash the eyes from the outer corner to the inner corner. A separate cotton swab should be used for each patient to avoid possible transmission of infection.
4. Remove the yellow-orange discharge that accumulates in the visible part of the ear, you need a cotton swab with a limiter.

As for the care of the genitals-girls and boys are washed in different ways. Before this procedure (as with all the previous ones), mom or dad should wash their hands thoroughly.

You need to wash the girl with every change of diaper, and simply wiping with wet wipes is unacceptable here. They can only remove the particles of feces, then be sure to wash the perineum under a stream of warm water. Rinse the genitals of the girl in the first months of life, preferably in the direction of the anus, so that the particles of waste products do not get into the genitals and do not cause inflammation. For the same reasons, it is impossible to wash the girl in the pelvis after defecation. Older girls are washed in this way: first they lather and rinse the anal area, then they wash their hands again and wash the external genitals without soap, without touching the area of the anus.

Care for a newborn boy also necessarily includes washing. It is necessary to wash them with the same frequency as girls. However, boys can be washed in any direction, even from front to back, even vice versa, you can not only do it in the pelvis after defecation. After washing, take your time and thoroughly dry your skin with a towel or sheet. In addition, air baths are good for his skin!

Another important point is the foreskin. At an early age, its inner surface is still firmly connected to the head of the penis. In medical parlance, this is called physiological phimosis. Premature displacement of the foreskin in the baby leads to the formation of small wounds, which, when healing, will leave scars. Therefore, when bathing, it is advised not to open the head of the boy's penis.

We hope that our tips for caring for a newborn were useful for you.