Babies can’t take care of their hygiene, and the onus is on the parents. Everything seems rosy when a baby is born, and you love cuddling with it. However, reality dawns when we realize just how hard taking care of a baby is, and a magnanimous chunk of effort goes in maintaining the best hygiene practices. Let’s simplify this for you. Here’s a list of the absolute musts that you should follow to keep your baby hale and hearty.
1. Cleaning the baby’s face
The skin of babies is sensitive so you shouldn’t scrub it. Rather, wipe the forehead, cheeks and chin with a warm wipe cloth. If there is something on their face, the warm water will make it easy to remove it. Make sure that you clean its neck as well as it tends to get dirty as babies drool and spill food. Steer away from soaps unless recommended by a doctor.
2. Take care of its eyes.
You can use cotton balls to clean the mucus around your new-born’s eyes. Dip the cotton ball in warm water and clean the eyes gently starting from inwards. You might need to do this several times in a day because babies produce so much mucus that it can even become difficult for them to open their eyes after a long nap. If you notice redness, it is likely to go away in a couple of hours. If it doesn’t, consult a doctor.
3. Keep its hair clean.
No, not all babies are born bald. If your baby is blessed with a head full of hair, don’t be tempted to wash it every day. Rather, use a tear-less shampoo and gently massage its scalp every once in a while. Later, you can comb its hair with either a soft bristle brush or a wide-toothed comb.
4. Love their sensitive ears
The ears of a baby are very sensitive so you should not try to stick anything in them. Otherwise, the eardrums can get damaged. Normally, earwax is carried out of the ear canal. The build-up results when the parents take matters in their own hands and try to clean it with a cotton swab which only pushes the earwax further away. Wiping the outer ear and behind the ears with a damp cotton ball serves the purpose. If you notice anything inside your child’s ear, which is causing discomfort, consult a doctor and don’t try to remove it yourself.
5. Brushing teeth
Even before a baby grows its first tooth, parents should take ample care and clean the gums regularly. The best way would be to gently wipe the inside of your new-born’s mouth with a washcloth wrapped around your index finger. Once your baby grows its teeth, brushing its teeth won’t seem like a hustle as it would be already used to it by then. You can buy fluoride-free toothpaste and a baby’s toothbrush at that time.
6. Washing hands is essential.
The pandemic has further necessitated the importance of this step. After all, their hands are the first thing that babies put in their mouths. Use a warm washcloth to wipe off the debris from the hands of your new-born.
Here’s a checklist of the times when you should wash your infant’s hands –
- Before and after feeding them a meal
- After changing their diaper
- After they play with their pet
- Whenever their hands appear dirty
Germs are everywhere, and washing hands regularly will keep infections at bay. If you start this routine at an early age, your child will get used to it when they grow up.
7. Genital care
Genital care can differ based on the gender of the baby.
Boys
Rinse his penis with water. If your baby’s penis is uncircumcised, don’t push the foreskin back and just clean the shaft. Also, you will need to change the diapers more frequently if the penis of your baby is uncircumcised.
If the penis is circumcised, you can simply rinse it with water. Even if you decide to go with soap, choose the one with a built-in moisturizer. To prevent the penis from sticking to the diaper and causing discomfort, you can moisten the front of it with petroleum jelly.
Girls
The genital care of girls can take a little more effort. Do not use douches or deodorants. Spread her legs apart and gently clean the labia from front to back.
No matter what the gender of the baby is, make sure that they don’t wear their diapers at all times, and the genital area gets a little time to breathe. Otherwise, it can result in rashes and irritation.
8. Cleaning feet
It is effortless to clean the toes of your baby. Just wash their toes thoroughly with a gentle soap. Make sure that you clean in-between toes as well. Dry their feet after washing them. Let your child walk barefoot for some time in the house as it will help in the healthy development of their feet.
9. Trim its nails
It can be quite scary to trim your baby’s nails due to their tiny fingers, but it is better than them scratching themselves. Purchase a pair of good baby nail clippers for the same. While cutting their fingernails, go across a curve and while cutting their toenails, go in a straight line. A good idea would be to do this either when the baby is asleep or distracted.
Even if you do end up cutting your baby’s finger and it bleeds, you don’t need to worry. Simply wash it with cold water and wrap a tissue around it. Wrapping it around the finger tightly for a couple of minutes should stop the bleeding. Don’t use a bandage as it can become a choking hazard.
The bottom line
Both you and your baby have started a new journey, so a few questions are bound to pop up on your mind. Feel free to reach out to Ninio Baby if you have any queries!