Читать книгу Sister Lilian’s Babycare Companion: Complimentary and traditional care - Lilian Paramor - Страница 46

There are many questions about Baby’s sensitive areas and how to care for them: Baby’s eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fontanelle, genitals, nails and belly button. This guide will see you through every stage, ensuring that Baby is perfectly cared for.

Head

Many parents are concerned about the soft spots on a baby’s head and wonder if they will not hurt their babies when washing hair or cleaning the head. As long as you do not press on these areas, especially the large anterior fontanelle, all will be well.

To clean Baby’s head routinely, simply wipe down with a warm, damp facecloth. If Baby has a thick shock of hair, or perspires freely on the scalp, you might need to do so once or twice daily, or wash his hair with gentle shampoo at each bathtime.

Some babies have cradle cap, which is a thick, sticky, yellow layer on the scalp and sometimes the eyebrows. The cause is not totally clear, but it is not serious, nor does it trouble Baby. Moms don’t like the look of cradle cap of course, and fortunately there are a number of self-help solutions to be found in this guide.

Eyes

Many babies awake with their eyelids stuck together and thick mucus accumulating in the inner corner of the eye. There is seldom need for concern. For the first two to three months of life, clean Baby’s eyelids regularly if crusty by dipping cotton wool balls in boiled, cooled water and wiping from the inner corner of the eye outwards. Use one cotton ball for the upper lid and a fresh one for the lower lid of each eye to prevent infection.

From three months use a separate facecloth for Baby’s face and eyes, but it is no longer necessary to pay special attention to the eyes unless there is chronic blockage of the tear ducts.

Ears

Baby’s ears are self-cleaning and one should not try to reach into the external ear canal to remove wax, as delicate structures could be harmed. If using a cotton bud, clean only the shell of the ear. Always use a cotton bud with an extra swollen tip to prevent penetration of the canal. When washing Baby’s hair, block the ears with the thumb and middle finger of your hand holding the head, to prevent water from entering the ear canal.

If Baby has a profuse or malodorous discharge from the ear, clean away only that which drains out and see your doctor as soon as possible, as the tympanic membrane may have ruptured and Baby will need medication.

Remember always to feed a bottle baby at a 45-degree angle in your arms, never lying flat, to prevent formula milk from flowing into the ear from the throat, possibly causing earache or infection.

Nose

There is no need to follow a specific cleansing routine for Baby’s nose. Some very snuffly babies sound like a steam train, have difficulty feeding, or wake from sleep because of dry membranes from mouth breathing. Insert one or two drops of saline into each nostril to loosen any mucus you cannot see. Baby will probably sneeze it out soon after. Homeopathic nasal drops and creams are also very effective, or you can tickle your baby’s nostrils with a tissue to induce a bout of sneezing. One can use a nasal mucus extractor safely, but take care to avoid injury to the delicate membranes. If Baby has a chronic problem with mucus or there are other signs of ill health, like fever or pain, apply the self-help tips elsewhere in this guide, or see your doctor.

Mouth

Baby’s mouth needs no special cleaning, but do take a regular peek inside to see that all is well. If there is a white, slightly raised coating on the tongue, the insides of the cheeks and on the gums, Baby may have oral thrush, which will need treatment. You can use homeopathic Calendula Tablets, the tissue salt Kali mur and/or probiotic therapy to treat this. If there is not speedy relief, see your doctor for an oral or systemic anti-fungal treatment. Applying gentian violet to the areas often helps, but is a very messy option. If breastfeeding, you will also need treatment, to prevent cross-infection to your nipples.

Breasts

Do not be concerned if you notice swelling of Baby’s breast tissue in the first two weeks of life. This is in response to your hormones while Baby was in the womb and will soon dissipate. Do not prod or squeeze and simply clean as you would the rest of the body. Sometimes there might even be a little discharge, which will soon clear.

Navel

A newborn’s umbilical cord stump and navel need to be cleaned at each nappy change. Use calendula lotion or surgical spirits to disinfect the clamp, stump, and in all the crevices of the navel as the stump dries and the belly button becomes accessible. Use cotton wool balls initially, and cotton buds as the stump shrivels. The navel may spot a little blood up to six weeks, but should not bleed freely. It will be a little moist in the first week to ten days with yellow crusting, but only needs special treatment if pus forms or there is a bad smell. The cord will fall off at about eight to ten days, or can be cut if just hanging by a dry thread. If very moist, apply homeopathic healing powders or ointment.

Genitals

Little boys’ foreskins are firmly attached to the penis and should not be retracted to clean. The foreskin will only loosen close to four years or even a lot later, at which stage they should be shown how to retract and clean the glans underneath to prevent infection. It used to be believed that forcing it back in babies was necessary, but this will only cause tearing and pain in uncircumcised boys. If you notice swelling and redness around the head of the penis and urine accumulates in a balloon under the foreskin because it is too tight, surgical intervention might be necessary, but otherwise it is best left alone.

Circumcisions are usually done within a few days of birth but some parents decide to have it done later – there seems to be no great advantage or disadvantage in the timing. The procedure is quite quick, easy and heals within a few days in most cases. A local anaesthetic injection is usually given in the groin area to ease pain. Most babies still resist and cry a lot because of being restrained during the procedure and the strange faces and voices. Circumcision is seldom necessary for medical reasons, unless the foreskin is overly tight or there is constant infection. Circumcising is a very personal decision, but do not feel forced to do so just because dad had one, or for fear of health complications. Religious and cultural traditions should, of course, be respected.

A little girl’s labia (the lips around the vagina) need to be gently spread when cleaning at a nappy change, as traces of stool readily accumulate there and could cause infection. Initially you might notice a vaginal discharge of mucus and blood that spots the nappy. This is no cause for concern but simply a reaction to your hormones from the time in the womb and will soon pass.

The genitals of both baby boys and girls are usually swollen at birth and can be quite distended. This, too, is hormonal and partially due to pressure from the birth process. It subsides within a few weeks, so do not be concerned.

Nails

Babies’ nails grow very rapidly and need regular attention. If Baby was born after her due date, her nails might be quite long and sharp. Keeping them short helps prevent scratching of the face, which is common in small babies.

Scratches to Baby’s face from sharp, long nails fortunately heal very quickly due to the excellent blood supply to the face. The best way of trimming nails is to use a little emery board. Nail clippers are better and safer to use than scissors.

If cutting nails with scissors or clippers, do so when Baby is asleep, just a few fingers at a time, so as not to disturb. This avoids the risk of cutting a finger. Some moms chew the nails off, but this is not advisable as it might tear the nail.