Children
of today have not only infections to deal
with but also allergies, rashes and problems
with the respiratory system. A wide variety
of chemical irritants are to be blamed for
this.
| Your
baby does not need to be bathed
daily; providing a full range
of shampoos, lotions and creams
is not necessary. |
|
|
|
A word about Baby Products
Baby skin specialists have expressed
concerns in the rise in asthma, eczema and other skin
allergies and have linked them to baby soaps, shampoos
and lotions. Findings suggest that baby products are
not necessarily less irritating than products formulated
for adults. It helps if parents keep in mind that
healthy baby skin produces its own oils and hence
do not need to rely on external oils or lotions. But
yes, you will need to use these lubricants if the
skin has been dried out by bath additives or too much
soap. The point here is to resist depending too much
on sweet-smelling baby cosmetics and restrict your
purchases to the essentials, especially in the early
days.
| Your baby's skin
is thinner and more sensitive than yours
and will scald very, very easily. The
water should be roughly your body temperature
- test this by putting your elbow in. |
|
As your baby gets older and bigger and smellier you
will need mild shampoo or baby wash (the hypo-allergenic
varieties) to keep your baby's skin and hair clean
and lotions to keep the skin moist, and that usually
doesn't happen until your baby is about 8 weeks old.
Till then all you really need is warm water. Daily
wash of hands, face and bottom (topping and tailing)
is a good idea since a new baby doesn't get very dirty
except for the face and neck from dribbled milk and
the nappy area. Daily full bath is not necessary;
cleaning the face and bottom once or twice a day takes
care of baby's hygiene. Bathing your baby a few times
a week is sufficient.
| Drowning is a
common cause of death in babies and young
children, who can drown in an inch of
water. Never ever leave your baby alone
in a bath even for a second. |
|
Some points to help you
decide on what to use and what to avoid:
• A newborn skin appears dry and peeling in
the initial days after birth. Since this will go away
on its own it is not necessary to apply lotion to
baby's skin.
• Few infants need shampoo on their hair, regardless
of a full head of hair or not. You can use a wet washcloth
on the scalp unless your doctor orders differently.
Once or twice a week a non-irritating shampoo or soap
can be used.
• For the body use baby bath products sparingly,
if at all. Start washing the face with a plain wet
washcloth, then you may use a mild soap for washing
the rest of the body.
• Strong soaps or bubble baths can cause nappy
rash as can wipes containing alcohol. Instead of wipes
it is better to use cotton balls and water to clean
the nappy area.
• Avoid using powder on your baby; he could
breathe in a cloud of powder which could be irritating
to his respiratory tract or form clumps in the creases
and irritate his skin.
• A barrier cream is not usually necessary unless
your baby has very sensitive skin or a nappy rash,
in which case it works to soothe and protect the skin.
Once your baby's bottom has healed it is better to
allow the skin to breathe.
• Most newborns have not yet acquired the love
of water and nakedness that an older baby loves -
they don't like getting wet and being naked for too
long. Concentrating on the parts that need cleaning
will help keep crying to a minimum; bathing 2 to 3
times a week is fine.
