Hygiene And Bath Time
Wrinkle-free, rosy and pink, a baby's skin is the envy of adults worldwide. In a world obsessed with appearances and germs, it’s easy for parents to go overboard when it comes to infant hygiene.
Baby’s bath is not essential until the baby starts crawling around, sandboxes, or even just on the kitchen floor. The main purpose of a baby’s bath is to remove from the skin anything which might irritate and make it sore. However, the infants do not need to have frequent baths. The babies bathing products available in the market may cause harm to their sensitive skin. Baby powder can block an infant’s pores and the bubble bath and the detergents can cause sensitive rashes and dryness to the skin. For the infant girls, the bubble bath possesses even greater risk. This may create cystitis and cause renal infection.
Technique for giving a baby bath:
The basic steps for bathing a baby are:
• Using warm boiled water and a cotton ball, gently wipe each eye from the inner corner outward. Use a separate eyeball for each eye to clean up the residue which might have built up during crying.
• Limit soreness by wiping away any dried perspiration from the ears then proceed to the mouth, chin and creases to remove dried milk or dribble; use a soft washcloth on the hands.
• Fingernails should be kept as short as possible to prevent scratching and can be trimmed with safety scissors while the infant sleeps.
• Excessively hot water can be harmful and can cause burns and dry out tender skin.
• Thermostats should be set no higher than 120° F and a careful watch should be kept on baby’s movements while bathing to ensure she doesn’t accidently turn on the water and burn herself.
• Slips in the sink or tub can be avoided by placing a dishtowel under the baby.
• Firm but gentle holding should be employed to the baby.
• Parents don’t need to immerse the baby in a tub of water to give her a bath. As a matter of fact, infants should not be immersed in water until after the umbilical stump has fallen off (generally two weeks after birth).