7 vital tips to take care of your newborn

Tips to take care of your newborn

By: Debjani Arora | | Updated: September 26, 2014 10:57 am

Once your newborn is home it might be little overwhelming for you. From bathing your baby, to dressing up, feeding and attending to all its needs you might seem like a big task. Often new mums are perplexed with the little human being in their lap and even basic chores like cleaning your baby might seem like a horrendous task. Here we show you ways to get going with the basics. Also Read - Genes linked to common brain disorder, Chiari 1 malformation, identified

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CLEANING YOUR BABY’S EYES: At times your newborn might have a sticky white or yellowish coloured liquid present at the corner of the eyes. It may appear in both the eyes together or in one eye at a time. Don’t rub, smudge or try to pull it off with your fingers. Instead use cotton swabs dipped in warm water to clean the orbs. Press the swab with your palms to drain excess water and with the wet swab clean your baby’s eyes moving from inside out. Do this in a gentle manner, first moving the swab on the upper eyelid and then on the lower eyelid. Don’t press; just use your finger tips to do the job. This will make the grime come out easily. In case you notice any redness or constant flow of tears from your baby’s eyes this could indicate a need to check the status of your baby’s eye health with a paediatric ophthalmologist. Read to know how to keep your baby’s eyes healthy. Also Read - Kids who take steroids at increased risk for diabetes: Know the other side effects of this medication

CLEANING YOUR BABY’S NOSE: A newborn’s nostrils are usually clean, but common cold can give rise to a blocked nose, which is quite a common occurrence among newborns. It not only makes them irritable, but can hamper sleep cycles and come in the way of general wellbeing. Don’t try to insert a finger into those little nostrils to clean. Neither will you be able to clean them nor will your baby feel comfortable. Instead use paediatric nasal drops. If you have visited your doctor you would be prescribed one. Put one drop on each nostril. Wait for some time, when the solution loosens up the hard mucous, use cotton buds to pull the filth out.

CLEANING YOUR BABY’S EARS: Never use cotton buds or ear buds to clean your baby’s ears. Newborns might have thick brown wax inside their ear. Don’t be tempted to clean them. That wax is in fact good for your baby; it protects the ear from external infections. The best way to keep your baby’s ears clean is to wipe the outer ear with a wet cloth after a bath. It’s a common Indian practice to rub the newborn’s ears with oil, that actually is a dangerous practice. If the oil reaches the insides of the ears it can lead to infection and interfere with hearing. It’s better to refrain from such practices.

CHOPPING YOUR BABY’S NAILS: Believe it or not, those little fingers have nails that are sharp and strong. You need to cut them so that the baby doesn’t hurt itself or you! The best time to do it is while your baby is sleeping after a bath. Though many experts say that while your baby is asleep, comfort suckling at your breast. That’s when you should chop off those nails, as it gives you a better angle to check on the nails. When feeding on the right cut the nails on the left hand and vice versa. Push the cuticles inside and use a baby nail clipper to cut the nails straight.

CLEANING YOUR BABY’S LITTLE MOUTH: Many mothers use a cloth dipped in honey or glycerin to clean the insides of the little mouth. But rubbing the tongue can in fact make the mucous dry up and also cause infection. Foreign ingredients like honey and glycerin are also not advisable to be given to infants. Instead just wipe the insides with a soft wet cloth. Ideally a newborn’s mouth doesn’t need much attention. Its only when the teeth erupt should mothers be more vigilant. Did you know nighttime feeding can give rise to dental carries? Read here to know more.

CLEANING YOUR BABY’S FACE: You would get a number of face tissues retailed in the market, choose one and buy a pack. Instead of using a soap which in fact isn’t permissible, just gently wipe your little one’s face with a wet cotton wipe. Alternatively you can also clean your baby’s face with a wet clean cotton cloth.

CLEANING THE PRIVATE AREA: Don’t be harsh there and clean the area gently. Infections in the genital area are quite common, particularly among baby girls. Always clean the privates of your girl from the front to back, as this reduces the chance of infection. Don’t push the foreskin of your baby boy’s penis higher up while cleaning because the foreskin’s meant to protect your baby’s penis. Even after cleaning with wipes, if you are using them, make sure you clean the area with lukewarm water too.

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Published : March 4, 2014 6:32 pm | Updated:September 26, 2014 10:57 am

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