Newborn care tips
When we get home with our newborn baby, all our doubts or concerns begin. In the hospital there was not much to do because the baby slept almost all the time and as for his hygiene, as the cord had not yet fallen off, he could not be bathed. Now at home the doubts that can assail us are regarding the cutting of nails or hair, when to put the moisturizer, how to bathe them safely, etc. It is for all this that we are going to offer the best advice for the care of the newborn.
Umbilical cord cure
When the cord is no longer connected to the mother, it stops receiving the blood supply and ends up falling after a few days. There are different solutions to heal your belly button. As long as povidone iodine is not used, all other solutions are correct. Either using 70ºC alcohol or cleaning it with soap and water, or simply doing nothing. The only thing to keep in mind is that it does not smell bad, since if this happened it would be necessary to go to the pediatrician.
Cold hot?
Another question that assails us is whether to shelter the baby a little or a lot. We have to take into account that inside the womb, our baby had a high temperature. Therefore, as tips for the care of the newborn baby, it is that without going overboard, after the first days, it should be dressed with one more sleeve than us, that is, one more capita of clothes than adults.
Bath
We have always heard that bathing babies every day relaxes them. This is true that it happens in many cases, but there are other babies that the bath produces excitement and they leave the bath more awake than they entered. We must also take into account that bathing dries out the skin, also eliminating natural bacteria that we have, so it is advisable to bathe the baby every two or three days and on the days that he does not bathe, make a diaper change with soap and water .
The appropriate temperature is 36ºC and the place where you bathe should not be cold. It is convenient to have everything prepared for after the bath. Once bathed, you have to dry him well, especially in the folds and dress him quickly.
As for the cream after the bath, the advice for the care of the newborn is to follow the recommendations of the AAP (American Association of Pediatrics), where it is quoted “a baby does not need to be regularly put on creams, oils or powders.” This does not mean that it is bad, but if the baby’s skin is good it would not be necessary to put anything on it. If it is a bit dry in some areas, then it is necessary to apply cream rather than oil.
A tip for the care of the newborn baby is that we take advantage of the moment of applying cream to give him a massage, since this massage creates an important bond between the two that is very satisfactory and beneficial.
Nails, eyes, ears and nose
Fingernails should only be trimmed when they need to be trimmed so that they are not scratched when moving their hands. It can be done with a file or with round-tipped scissors and always at a time when the baby is calmer, holding his little hand well.
As for the eyes, if there are legañas, they are cleaned with a little serum and a gauze from the inside out, then proceeding to throw it away using it only once.
Do not use swabs for the ears or put anything into your ear.
And the nose, if it has runny nose and does not breathe well, it is recommended to use physiological saline by pouring it little by drop, drop by drop through the nostrils to dilute the mucus and come out more easily through the nose.
Haircut
In the first months, a large part of the baby’s hair usually falls out and by six months the definitive hair comes out. Cutting the hair will not make it come out stronger, so if you want to cut it, it will be for aesthetic reasons. For this, round-tipped scissors should be used and the baby should be calm. In no case should a blade be used.
In any case, as we always recommend the best tips for newborn care, your pediatrician will give it to you directly, who will monitor the evolution of your baby.
