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If you are looking forward to meeting with the new family member or have recently brought your newborn angel home from the hospital, it is natural that you have got a lot of questions. Most of them are related to the health and safety of your newborn baby. To a certain extent, most of them concern the matter of baby hygiene and proper care form the first days after birth.
Ensuring Baby Hygiene
Every question is, indeed, of particular importance. For example, if you choose a proper washer detergent for babies, you will eliminate the risk of skin irritations and even chemical burns that might happen in the event of washing clothes of your baby with a fake product. That is why every parent needs to pay particular attention to the matter of newborn hygiene to avoid possible problems and make sure that a baby is safe. We have selected 9 most useful habits the development of which will help prevent a lot of problems.
1. Washing Hands
First of all, parents should take care of the cleanliness of their hands. As new routines overwhelm them, sometimes, this so much necessary action is omitted. Both parents (as well as every person who is going to hold or touch your baby) should wash hands regularly especially after:
- Coming home from the office of the supermarket;
- Changing diapers;
- Visiting bathroom;
- Taking care of or petting an animal.
Also, it is necessary to wash hands before you are going to change your child, bath, and prepare food.
However, sometimes, parents tend to overdo the task and use not only antibacterial soap but also plenty of sanitizers. In this respect, it is crucial to stay within the golden mean: cleanliness is necessary, but sterility is harmful. Your baby will inevitably lick the floor when learns to crawl. That is why certain contact with germs is necessary. Of course, it does not mean that this contact should be intentionally arranged. So, keep hands clean but not sterile. After all, excessive use of sanitizers will harm your hands.
Also, it is necessary to remember that the hands of your baby should be regularly washed as they quickly learn to take them in the mouth, lick, or suck fingers. Make use of hygiene napkins when it is inconvenient to wash your baby’s hands under the running water.
2. Bathing
Lots of parents are usually afraid that their newborn will be not so clean and bath her every day. However, in the first weeks, bathing your baby every day may cause skin dryness. So, during the first month, you can wash your baby after changing under the water tap and bath two or three times per week. Besides, bathing is not allowed until the navel area heals completely. It is better to consult with your doctor about when it is better to start bathing.
Of course, if your little one loves the process of bathing and you can see that the reaction of the skin to frequent contact with water is fine, then there are no restrictions at all. You can bath your baby every day.
3. Trimming Fingernails
There are plenty of tips to keep your child safe, and it is necessary to make sure that your baby won’t harm oneself. Nails of a newborn are sharp and thin. With uncontrolled moves of newborn’s hands and fingers, they tend to scratch not only themselves but also parents. That is why trimming nails is an important part of infant hygiene care. Usually, babies dislike this process and some parents manage to trim nails when they are asleep.
If you do not want to disturb the baby’s sleep, you can try to do this in the process of bathing. Of course, you will need help from your partner. There are also special bodysuits that have got anti-scratch sleeves because even trimmed nails are sharp enough to scratch the soft skin of your baby.
4. Checking the Nose
A newborn is unable to breathe with mouth. That is why keeping the nose unclogged is crucially important to ensure trouble-free breathing. It is possible to use damp cotton cloth for this purpose. Also, there are special nasal aspirators that can be used for this purpose.
However, cleaning the nose is not the only thing that can be done. The dried mucous deposit in the nose because of the dry and too warm air in the nursery. That is why if you have noticed that there are too many dry deposits in the nose, this is the reason to check the temperature and humidity in the air. Ensuring humid air and cool temperature in the room will help eliminate the problem with dry deposits in the nose reducing the necessity to clean it too often.
5. Cleaning Ears
It is one of the infant hygiene routines babies dislike most of all. That is why in the process, parents should be very careful. It is not allowed to insert the cotton bud inside the ear. It is possible to either use a damp cloth or napkin for this purpose or buy special cotton buds for newborns.
It is necessary to carefully check the reaction of a baby. If it seems that your child reacts differently, probably, the process of cleaning the ears creates pain because of a probable ear infection. That is why immediately make an appointment with your pediatrician.
6. Cleaning Eyes
This is quite easy, however, no less important. Use a clean damp cloth to clean the eyes of your baby. During bathing, make sure that water drops do not get in the eyes as this may create irritation. Besides, most children get nervous when water gets into their eyes and can refuse from bathing for some time.
7. Changing Clothes & Diapers
Ensuring the comfort and protection of the skin is one of the key tasks of parents. As soon as your child spits up or another disaster happens with clothes, change them. It is also important to pay attention to how to wash baby clothes to be sure that the health and comfort of your little angel are ensured. While choosing outfits, pay attention to the weather, and dress your newborn accordingly.
A diaper should be changed regularly. Besides, this frequency should increase in summer. When a diaper is even a bit damp, the skin underneath can be irritated and cause discomfort for your child. If the bottom of your baby is red, this is the reason to change diapers more often, as well as to make sure that there are no allergic reactions to the brand of diapers you have chosen. Sometimes, the reaction may appear unexpectedly. That is why always be attentive to the skin under diapers.
8. Cleaning Toys
From the very first days, you and your family begin buying a lot of toys for the entertainment and development of your child. Before you give any o them, be sure it corresponds to the age of your little one. Not all the toys are suitable for newborns that is why aside from age requirements, check and test every toy on your own.
Next, clean every toy before giving it to your baby. Also, smell it. Occasionally, the quality of the paint can be poor. If a toy has still got a smell, can you imagine what can get in the body of children when they take these toys in their mouths?
Remember to regularly clean the toys as they are often thrown on the floor or out of the stroller. When you go out, make sure that you have got enough toys to replace those that have been thrown on the ground. Babies love taking toys in their mouths that is why their cleanliness is a must to protect your baby from various infections.
9. Keeping Your Home Clean
If we are talking about hygienic tips for newborns, cleanliness at home is crucial. Air at home should be humid, cool, and clean. If you regularly wash the floors and dust surfaces, you will reduce the amount of dust in the air and increase the humidity. Some may recommend using special sanitizing liquids for surfaces, however, these are chemicals that are unnecessary for your baby. Regular washing with water will suffice to ensure cleanliness and health if your baby.
In Conclusion on Baby’s Hygiene
Nature has foreseen a lot to protect a baby. However, nowadays the environment is different from a natural one. That is why it is the task of parents to ensure the cleanliness and hygiene of their baby. However, this is crucial to remain reasonable. Excessive cleaning and sterile ambiance are not useful, instead, this is harmful to your baby who will inevitably contact the world around. That is why parents should make sure that a child is protected against the impact of the environment and make sure that a baby will gradually get used to the ambiance.
