You brought your bundle of joy home, there’s a lot of talk about feeding them, taking care of their sleeping patterns, getting them vaccinated, and so on… Another critical and much-needed discussion has to be your baby’s hygiene since it goes a long way in helping your baby’s growth and development.
Here’s an article for tips on how to keep your baby clean and take care of their skin, hair, and nails, because caring for them sometimes can be challenging even for experienced parents.
Tips For Baby Care:
-
Keep your baby clean by gently bathing them, twice or thrice a week. You can start off with sponge baths before you switch to traditional and much-needed oil and lukewarm water baths. The switch to traditional baths can happen after your baby’s umbilical cord falls off and heals completely. Keep in mind that your baby’s skin is much softer and more delicate than yours and hence needs milder soaps and shampoos for their baths. Washing the dirty areas such as the creases in the neck and diapered areas can be enough in the initial days.
-
Keep changing your baby’s diapers from time to time, even if they are ‘just wet’ for they could cause irritation to your baby and lead to infections also. Once the wet/dirtied diaper is removed, clean up with warm water and apply diaper cleaning once the diapered area is dried.
-
Trim your baby’s fingers and toenails from time to time. Since your baby’s nails are very soft, it is best to remove them with your hands. Make sure your hands are clean. Your baby could hurt themselves if their nails are sharp, to avoid it gently trim their nails into rounded shapes and make sure you have plenty of light when you are handling your baby’s tender nails.
-
Your baby’s head and hair are prone to getting dirty, despite having spent most of their time sleeping. Sometimes, their hair can also get very dirty, tangled, and occasionally a little smelly too. Keep giving them head washes with mild shampoos and establish a good hair care routine for them.
-
Keep their towels, blankets, bed sheets, and their clothing super clean. Use disinfectants and fragrance-free detergents each time you wash them.
-
Keep your little one away from the sun as much as possible. Understand that shade is your baby’s best friend. If you must go out with your baby in the sun, create shade using umbrellas or other innovative ways. Dress them in fully covered light-colored clothes. Cover their heads with hats.
Follow these tips to effectively take care of your little one, because maintaining healthy skin care habits during infancy, such as protecting your baby from rashes, allergies, and the sun, can have a long-lasting impact on your child’s health.