Child Health Skin care Choose the right one for your baby

Baby’s skin is very tender and sensitive unlike grown ups, therefore it needs an extra care. There are many baby products available in baby stores, but one has to be cautious for choosing the right product. Here are few tips that can help to choose from the wide variety of products available in the market.

• Though plain water is sufficient to clean the baby’s skin, a mild soap can be used occasionally. Choose a mild herbal baby soap preparation that are enriched with natural essential oils and herbal extracts like olive oil, coconut oil, calendula etc.

• Baby powders made from bentonite clay or cornstarch are a good choice for baby. Avoid powders made of talc and fragrance.

• Apply powder only on the folds of the neck, underarm and the diaper area. Avoid application on face as it might cause lung problems when the particles of powder are inhaled.

• A gentle lotion free from petroleum gel (mineral oils) and fragrance is the right choice to moisturize the dry skin of a baby.

• A moisturizer includes aloe vera, marigold, and calendula herbal extracts that act as a natural moisturizer and has anti bacterial properties.

• Select a natural shampoo that is hypo allergic, non toxic and free from harmful chemicals.

• Avoid strong detergent to wash baby clothing. Use hypo allergic detergents or soaps specially formulated for washing infant clothes. This can avoid rashes and leaves a gentle touch to baby’s skin.

Baby Massage

There are many ways to express your love to newborn babies. Baby massage is one of them. Babies react instinctively to touch and this can be seen when they curl their fingers and toes as soon as someone or something touches them. Babies react to touch much more readily than the other four senses.


Baby massage is one of the best ways to bond with your new-born; it calms and appeases him or her. Massage has been shown to help calm colicky babies, solve wind and other digestive problems. It improves circulation and drainage and stimulates the muscles, cells and skin tissues.


Massaged daily, premature infants develop more rapidly than those who are not massaged. After six weeks, they are more alert and cry less and are more socially and emotionally expressive.


Oils for the massage:


Use natural, pure and mild oil for massaging your baby, which are very sensitive to the baby’s delicate skin.
Plant-derived base oils like grape seeds, sweet almond or coconut oil are the most suitable for baby massage and allow the baby skin to breathe. Many commercial baby oils contain mineral oils which are not easily absorbed by the skin and tend to block the pores. Perfumed products and essential oils should not be used on young babies.


Check for the oil sensitivity by rubbing a tiny amount of the oil onto his or her skin. Leave on for 30 minutes and check to see if there is any reaction. Clean off the baby’s hands with tissue or wet wipes to avoid him or her ingesting the oil. Do the same for your baby's toes.


Right time to do massage:


For massage, choose a time when the baby is alert. If the baby is tired, start after his or her nap. There is nothing to worry if he or she does not seem content the first few times as he or she is not used to the movements and the sounds of the hands.


Start the massage by creating a relaxing atmosphere, free from interruptions. Choose a quiet time and place. Lay your baby down on a mattress or bed, or on your lap and begin. Make eye contact with the baby throughout the massage and talk gently and encouragingly to him or her. The principle of baby massage is generally to work up the arms, legs and tummy, towards the heart.


The baby should not be given the massage when he or she has unexplained swelling or bruising, perhaps from recent injections; or unusual rashes. It is also not advisable to massage the baby when he or she has had a fall, has cut himself, develop new scar tissue, or if he or she has any known heart conditions or high blood pressure. It is best to consult the doctor in case of any doubt.
Remember never to massage baby after his or her feeding. Don’t wake up the baby for a massage. Do not massage a newborn infant at bath time as this can be over-stimulating.


Points to remember prior to baby massage:


• Ensure that you and your baby are relaxed and can remain undisturbed for about 15 minutes set the mood; play gentle music while massaging the baby.


• The room should be kept at a comfortable temperature.


• Remove your jewellery and watch to prevent scratching the baby. Fingernails should also be cut short.


• Keep the movements gentle. Do not apply force as his or her muscles as intense pressure could cause bruising.


• Warm your hands by rubbing them together before touching your baby.


• Pour the oil into an open bowl or container so that you don't have to worry about lids during the massage. Keep the oil at your convenience so that you can easily dip the fingers of one hand into the bowl while your other hand maintains contact with your baby.


• Do not pour oil directly onto your baby's skin.


• If you have long hair, tie it up neatly so that it does not fall onto your baby's body.


• Keep the massage sessions short, usually 15-20 minutes for a full massage.


• If your baby is colicky, there is no need to apply the full procedure of the massage. Just massage his abdomen, which will be hard and distended, in a clockwise circular motion.

• It is better to rub away the oil from your baby's hands which he may put into his mouth

Baby Care Basics

Good baby care begins with the way the newborn is held. Support should be provided at the back and head with your arm and hand. Touch your baby often. Use skin-to-skin contact and hold your baby close to you.


Some of the fundamental baby care basics have been discussed underneath:


• Cord Care-


Many parents wonder when the umbilical cord stump will fall off. The cord stump should fall off within one to three weeks after birth. At each diaper change, clean the cord with alcohol.


• Crying-


Crying is a baby's means of communication. Babies cry when they have to burp or are wet, soiled, tired, bored, or just lonely. As time goes by, a mother learns what her baby's crying means. If feeding cues accompany crying, it's usually a sign of hunger. You will not spoil your baby by responding promptly to crying. Your baby only cries if he or she needs something. When you satisfy his or her needs, your baby is learning to trust people and begins to know that someone cares for him or her. After taking care of physical needs, there are many things you can do to calm a crying baby. Try holding your baby over your shoulder, or place your baby on his or her stomach across your knees or arms. But these should be avoided when the baby have has been fed immediately. If breastfeeding, you should try to avoid the use of a pacifier until breastfeeding is well established (usually by three to four weeks).


• Sleeping-


Most newborn babies sleep more than they do anything else. Babies develop their own sleeping pattern. It is normal for a tiny baby to sleep 16 to 20 hours a day. Take advantage of your baby's sleep periods to get the rest that you need. During sleep, your baby may make sucking motions, whimper, smile, or move his or her eyes. It is recommended that all healthy full-term infants sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).


• Nail Care-


During the first days of life, the baby’s nails may be long and adhered to the skin high on the nail. Trim nails frequently with blunt edged small scissors or file with an emery board to prevent scratching. Cut nails straight across. Utmost care should be taken not to injure the baby while cutting or trimming his or her nail.


• Bathing-


Provide sponge bathe for your baby until the cord falls off. After this, tub baths may be given. Bathing every one to two days is all that is necessary. Shampooing hair two to three times a week is adequate. Bathing can be done any time of day. It should, however, be given before a feeding or at least one hour after feeding. Gather baby equipment before you begin. The bath can be given in a basin, a small tub, or kitchen sink. Never leave your baby unattended during the bath. If you have forgotten something, bring the baby with you! Be sure to test the water temperature with the inside of your wrist to make sure that the water is not too hot! Use a mild soap sparingly, but not on baby's face. Lotions and oils are unnecessary. Always support the baby's head and neck and keep a good grip on baby while bathing. Babies can get very slippery. Wash the baby from head down leaving the diaper area to last. Don't leave any soap on baby. Clean the outside of the baby's ear with a washcloth around one of your fingers. Cotton tip swabs should not be used in the nose or ears.


• Diapering-


Diapering is probably the most dreaded of all baby care activities. Diapers should be changed when wet or soiled. Disposable cotton diapers are the best the baby and this also saves the mother from unwanted diaper-changing activities like washing etc. 


One should be prepared with all diapering supplies like a couple of diapers, wipes, ointment, etc., before starting to change the diaper. Choose a specific flat and secure area for the diaper change of the baby. This can be a changing table or changing pad. Be sure to use the strap for baby's safety. Never leave baby unattended while changing him or her. Unfasten the old diaper, but don't pull it out from under the baby yet. This allows for some margin of safety in case the cold air inspires baby to let go. 


Grasp the baby's ankles and gently lift their bottom up and begin to wash their bottom with the wipes. If the area is heavily soiled you can use the front part of the old diaper to remove part of the mess. As you finish with each wipe, gently place in under the baby (clean side up) for easier clean up. When the baby's skin is clean pull the diaper and wipes out from under baby and set it aside.


Place the new, clean diaper under baby and secure the fasteners. If your still have a newborn, you might need to fold down the top of the diaper to make room from the umbilical cord. Don't be afraid to pull the diaper on snuggly.

After putting baby's clothes back on, take the old diaper and use the fasteners to make it into a small ball, criss-crossing the fasteners. Place it in the diaper pail or trash. Wash your hands properly after changing the diaper each time.