DUBAI: Baby hygiene is crucial in boosting the overall health and wellbeing of the baby. Hygiene does not only involve the basic cleanliness but also keeping the baby away from common and harmful infections. Many health centers and baby clinics emphasize the need for moms to get the necessary baby hygiene education. This is especially done through educational seminars and paediatric visits. Through these avenues, mothers are equipped with tips on how to keep their babies clean and how to detect common baby illnesses.
Let’s take a quick look at the useful tips on baby hygiene that moms should always keep in mind.
- Wash Your Hands
Both parents should regularly wash their hands before handling their baby. This should be done using running water and antibacterial soap. Hands are chief germ-carriers since they pick up objects, most of which are usually not clean. Using a hand sanitizer is also a good option for keeping hands germ-free. Washing hands after changing nappies, before feeding the baby, and after using the washroom are among the practices that parents should embrace to maintain baby hygiene.
- Proper Cleaning of Eyes
With newborns, mucus build-up around eyes is common but not good for baby hygiene. Accumulation of this mucus may give you trouble while cleaning your baby. Remember that eyes are delicate organs and are to be cleaned with care.
The best way to clean your baby’s eyes is by using cotton balls and warm water, one ball for each eye. Dampen the cotton balls and clean the eyes, from the inside corner outwards. For proper baby hygiene, ensure that you clean your baby’s eyes severally in a day.
- Clean the Nose
Cleaning can be done using warm water and a soft cloth. (Shutterstock)
Baby hygiene also involves maintaining a clean nose. You need to wipe the nostril area gently to get rid of mucus. Cleaning can be done using warm water and a soft cloth. Stuffy baby noses pose a problem for most moms. Worry not! Get a nose aspirator and nasal saline for moistening the baby’s nose. This loosens the mucus, making it easy to suction it out.
- Keep the Ears Clean
Clean ears also contribute to baby hygiene, with keen attention to the eardrum. It is not advisable to insert cotton buds into the baby’s ears as they can damage and irritate the baby’s inner ear. For proper baby hygiene with the ears, roll a piece of cotton wool and clean the outer ear to prevent accumulation of wax. Don’t forget to wipe the region behind the ear too.
- Umbilical Cord
For newly born babies, the umbilical cord is particularly a delicate part that needs utmost care. For proper baby hygiene, ensure that you wash your hands before handling the umbilical cord. Avoid covering the stump area with diapers and nappies to help the stump heal faster. For better baby hygiene, make sure that nappies and diapers are folded below the stump to avoid touching it.
- Proper Cleaning of Genitals
Whether boy or girl, proper cleaning of genital is key to baby hygiene. When bathing a baby girl, use a wet cotton ball and wipe the genital area from the front backwards. For boys, ensure that you rinse the genital area with clean water. Avoid using soap for this exercise. This exercise is vital to baby hygiene as it helps prevent infections thus keeping the baby healthy.
- Trim Your Baby’s Nails
Don’t cut the nails too short to prevent infections around the nail tips. (Shutterstock)
Babies have little fingers, and trimming the nails can prove a nervy exercise for parents. You can wait for a month to trim the nails for the first time since they are brittle and fragile. After a month, you can trim them regularly using a pair of scissors to maintain baby hygiene. Do this when the baby is calm, preferably when sleeping. Don’t cut the nails too short to prevent infections around the nail tips.
- Washing Hair
You should avoid doing this daily but when you do it, use tear-free shampoo to massage your baby’s scalp gently to prevent hair loss. To dry the hair, use a clean towel to wipe their scalp back and forth. Ensure that you use a wide comb or a soft bristle brush to comb the baby’s hair.
- Sanitize Your Home and Baby’s Toys
When babies start to crawl around to play, they can collect germs either from the floor or their toys. Ensure that you clean surfaces in your home using disinfected water to maintain baby hygiene. Do the same for the baby’s toys to keep them free from germs.
Baby hygiene involves many cleaning activities that must all be done with care and advised. By keeping your baby clean, you can be sure that they will stay healthy and disease-free, especially those caused by harmful microbes.
This article was first published on babyarabia.com.
