Babies General Health Care Tips

A parent is always concerned about the health of the baby. There are various methods that one uses to ensure good health of a child. In recent times, the baby care market in India has witnessed an incredible boom. There are baby care products available in the market that cater to the needs of a baby's health. Some important tips on baby's health care have been mentioned below.

Baby's Skin Care

Your baby could suffer from various skin care problems if you do not provide adequate protection to the child. Johnson and Johnson is one of the popular baby brands in India that sell creams for a baby's skin care. Regular baths, followed by the application of baby creams will act as an aid for a baby's skin care.

Bathing the Newborn

You are required to adopt some safety measures during baby baths. Some of the important points have been highlighted below.

• Before a baby bath, get everything that you need by your side.
• Use a mild, baby soap.
• A soft towel should be used to dry your baby.
• Be gentle on your baby, when bathing him or her.
• Never leave your child alone in water.

Other tips for Baby's Health Care

There are other tips that you could use for maintaining the good health of your baby.

• Change nappy on a regular basis
• Ensure that the baby's nails do not grow too long.
• Use dry, clean clothes for your baby

Adopting all of the baby's health care tips will ensure healthy growth of your child.

From an Infant to a Toddler

The stage of growing from an infant to a toddler is crucial and striking in both the child's and parent's case. To differentiate between the two, one has to first know the exact difference between the two stages. With the growth from an infant to a toddler, physical, mental and emotional changes occur in a baby and it is the responsibility of the parents to train the baby in some basic aspects at this early stage.

Difference between an Infant and a Toddler

At the earliest stage of life and specially before the children learn or try to walk, they are defined as Infant, whereas, a children who is trying to walk and just before the age of a year, can be termed as a toddler. Infant is often referred to the first stage of life and toddler the second till the age of four years and before childhood, where the child comes out of his infancy and starts relating and behaving as per his/her surrounding.

Physical and mental developments

Development of teeth occurs in the infant stage itself, the period of the same continues from the age of 4-5 months and till the child is a toddler, some teeth are still in the process of coming out.

Trying and learning to walk and toddle are some of the main physical developments that can be observed in a stage where the child is growing from an infant to a toddler.

Some basic training and habits can be well imbibed in the child at the stage when the child has attained toddler hood.

Infants react to sign languages and often try to convey their messages and express themselves with the help of sign language while a toddler is at a stage where he sometimes tries to use the vowels and the consonants stringed together.

Diet

While your baby is growing from an infant to a toddler, the most important thing to be kept in mind and properly looked after is the diet of the baby and the mother. The diet can be kept normal and regular with an intake of a fair proportion of liquid and solid foods.

The amount of calcium and phosphorous intake should be increased as this is the time when a child grows rapidly.

Breast feeding can be continued from an infant to a toddler stage, as that depends purely upon the need of the baby and the mother except in cases where the doctor will guide you as per the problem.

Parent's role and responsibility changes with the growth of the baby

Parents should always notice the cases of food allergies and over or under intake of food. But primarily, parents should avoid forcing the baby to have food beyond a certain limit as directed by the pediatrician after a check-up which varies with every child.

Parents need not worry about the rate of growth of the baby by comparing it to the growth of other babies. There is a wide time period which is termed as "normal" in case of the growth of babies. It is quite possible that some activities of your baby is either in advance or delayed when compared to the activities of other growing babies.

Bathing the Newborn

There are parents who shy away from bathing the newborn child. Several reasons could be attributed to this syndrome. You could be worried that your baby may fall ill after a bath or you could be afraid that the child could get hurt.

Whatever may be your reasons, there are no actual reasons why you should not enjoy the activity of bathing the newborn. Here you would find some useful tips on bathing the newborn that will surely give you the confidence to carry out the task.

How to bathe your baby

• Keep all essential items like towels, baby soap, baby oil and fresh nappies within hand's reach.
• Use warm water to bathe your baby and make sure that the water is not too hot.
• Undress your baby and allow him or her to settle in the water with his or her feet first.
• Use you hand to wash the baby with warm water.
• For cleaning eyes and face, you can use sterilized cotton balls dipped in water.

Some tips for bathing the newborn

• When you are placing the newborn into the water, remember to support the child's neck and head using your hand.
• You can use soap for bathing the newborn, but only baby soaps that have a mild effect on the skin should be used.
• Avoid pouring water directly onto your baby's face; instead use a wet cloth for the same.
• Apply baby lotions, baby creams or powders on the child after every bath.

If you follow these tips for bathing the newborn, you are likely to enjoy the activity. You can also seek the help of your parents to know how best to bathe your newborn baby. Bathing the newborn baby always leads to family togetherness and bonding.

Hygiene of Babies

Hygiene of babies is an important aspect of baby care. Babies are totally dependent on their mothers for everything. Mothers feed them, keep them clean and tidy and mothers also protect them from all the problems. Here one can see some important tips for maintaining good hygiene of babies.

Why is baby hygiene necessary in baby care?

During the first year, babies can not do things on their own. So, they need help of their mothers who can protect them from all the internal as well as external problems. In the Indian climate, babies are often get affected by cold and various other kinds of health problems. In that case, proper maintenance of baby hygiene can keep them away from all these problems.

A few tips for maintaining good baby hygiene:

• Nappy rash is a most common problem in babies. It is just an irritation of the skin occurs by the use of wet or dirty nappy for a long time. The best way to prevent nappy rash is to change the nappy more than 12 times a day. Not only that, make baby's bottom dry after every change. This will help to prevent nappy rash.
• If the baby is very young or premature, then he/she needs extra protection and care. It is better to cover the baby with a soft cloth to protect from the climate or pollution.
• But if the baby is ill, then it would be better to keep the baby relatively fresh and in this case, do not cover the baby with extra clothes or blankets.
• A regular bath is very important part of baby hygiene as it keeps the skin clean and also protects the skin from baby rashes. Bathing is a good way to keep baby's skin fresh. Always use lukewarm water while washing baby's skin or nappy areas.
• Always use mild baby soaps and oil for the babies.
• Cut baby's nails carefully as sudden movements of hands and feet can make cuts on their skin.
• To clean the outer parts of ears and nostrils, sterilized cotton wool buds are safe for the babies.
• Always try to make the babies engaged in various interesting activities that can help them to be happy and relaxed.

Caring for Umbilical cord stump

Caring for Umbilical cord stump is very important after the birth of a baby. Umbilical cord is a membranous duct connecting to the fetus with the placenta. After a baby is born, the Umbilical cord is clamped and cut down leaving a 2 to 3 cm of Umbilical stump. It needs proper care as well as protection to prevent infection in that area.

What is the function of the Umbilical cord?

Umbilical cord is the channel through which babies receive both nutrition and oxygen in the womb from the placenta. Placenta is connected to the inner wall of the uterus of the mother. It is linked to the baby by the Umbilical cord from an opening in the abdomen of the baby.

How long the baby has an Umbilical cord stump?

The Umbilical cord stump remains around 10 to 21 days and after this time period, the stump dries and drops off, leaving a minor abrasion that may take only a few days to cure.

Caring for Umbilical cord stump:

There are certain procedures of caring for Umbilical cord stump. Let's discuss the procedures-

• The place should be kept dry and clean.
• There are some special types of baby diapers with a cut-out section for the cord. Use these kinds of diapers or you can also fold the diaper below the stump to keep the cord open.
• Avoid giving the baby tub baths till the cord stump falls off.
• After falling off the stump, one can notice a little spot of blood on the diaper which is quite normal.
• In the warm weather, do not have your baby wear heavy clothes. Instead of that, just use loose cotton T-shirt and a diaper so, that air can circulate throughout the clothes.
• Never try to pull off the Umbilical cord as it will be harmful for your baby.
• Sometimes some bits of lumpy flesh remain after the stump falls off. But do not panic, this will disappear within a few days. You can also take your baby to the doctor for better medical assistance. These fleshes are called Umbilical granulomas which do not contain nerves.
• Caring for Umbilical cord stump also includes some other important procedures. To care it properly, you can rub the cord with a cotton mop or gauze pad which is dipped in a little bit of rubbing alcohol. You can apply this process once or twice a day.

Symptoms of Umbilical cord stump infection:

There are some major signs of Umbilical cord stump infection that are mentioned below-

• A fever
• Swollen or tenderness at the naval and its surrounding area.
• Appearing of pus at the base of the cord stump.

After noticing any of these symptoms, you should immediately consult an experienced physician for further medical support.

Nappy Changing

After entering the world of motherhood everything seems so interesting- even the nappy changing episode. Smelling the nappies and changing them is not at all easy job to do. As a new mum, you should know all the nappy changing procedures to keep your baby clean and healthy all the time.

Before knowing the nappy changing procedures, you should have to select a comfortable nappy for your baby. There are many leading brands manufacturing best quality of diapers. Some of the famous nappy brands include-

• Huggies
• Pampers
• Johnson & Johnson, etc.

These famous nappy brands offer a wide category of diapers which are

• Newborn diapers
• Older baby or crawler nappies
• Toddler nappies
• Trainer pants or pull-ups

Besides these, one can also buy unscented disposable nappies for babies with sensitive skin. Though nappies are available in varieties, but as a mother you have to be careful about your baby's skin. Most of the time baby skin infections are occurred due to wet or dirty nappies. For your help, here are some important nappy changing procedures that can help you while changing your baby's diaper.

• First you remove the clothes of the lower half of your baby's body.
• Then remove the nappy and fold it properly.
• Keep the nappy away from your baby and put it in a nappy bag to throw in the bin.
• Wipe your baby's skin with a cotton wool and fresh lukewarm water. While wiping the skin, one thing always keep in mind that, you should not wipe it from back to front. It leads to the urinary track infection caused by the bacteria. The right procedure is to wipe it from the front to the back.
• Clean the nappy area properly especially the creases in the bottom and thighs.
• Take a fresh or new nappy and hold your baby's both the ankles together to pull it up. This will help you to slide the nappy underneath your baby's bottom. Keep in mind that, the back part with the adhesive strips should be around the tummy level of the baby.
• Bring the adhesive strips together and be very careful about the adhesive strips as they can stick onto your baby's skin.
• You can also apply baby powder at the areas which are prone to nappy rash (the creases in the bottom and between the thighs).

Cleaning baby's Clothes

How to wash baby clothes? This is an obvious question asked by the new mums. If you are a first time parent to-be, then this is a very important thing to know about. Cleaning baby's clothes is a very easy process but it needs proper care and knowledge in that work. In the initial stages, baby's skin remains very sensitive, so that while applying detergent for your baby's clothes, you should keep in mind that it should not be harsh and free from harmful chemicals.

Cleaning baby's clothes is little bit of different from the washing of clothes for the rest of the family. To know more about procedures for washing your baby's clothes, you can go through the entire article where you can find so many important tips for washing baby clothes.

• As your baby has much more sensitive skin than you, so you should avoid normal household detergents while washing baby's clothes. These detergents may cause irritation on your baby's skin.
• Always wash and properly disinfected new clothes before your baby wears them. Unwashed clothes leads to various skin rashes and irritations.
• Soaps and perfumes can also create allergic reactions to your baby's skin. So, always use mild detergent while cleaning baby's clothes.
• After washing, clothes should be disinfected properly so that the clothes remain bacteria free.
• Always dry baby clothes in the drier. This will make clothes germfree and fresh as well.
• You should avoid dryer sheets and fabric softeners for cleaning your baby's clothes.
• For washing clothes, you can buy a dye and fragrance free detergent that does not contain any harsh chemicals.
• Do not wash clothes in warm water. Always wash your baby's clothes on a cold cycle to reduce the chance of growing bacteria. It will also keep clothes in proper shapes and sizes.
• After washing clothes, rinse the clothes in clean water. This will make sure that there is no remaining soap left on the clothes.
• To remove stubborn stains, you can spray stain remover on the spot. This will help you to remove stains from the clothes.
• There are some different categories of stains like formula stains, vomit stains, grass stains, baby food stains and many others. Apply different sprays for different stains.

Trimming Baby's Nails

Trimming Baby's NailsBaby's nail trimming comprise of an integral part of looking after and ways to keep the baby healthy and safe. While trimming the baby's nail utmost care should be taken not to hurt the baby and this could be best done by using proper accessories and equipments to trim baby's nail.

Why nail trimming is important

It is important to trim baby's nail to keep the baby primarily safe from hurting themselves or scratching their own delicate skin. It is also said that in an early age, the nails are softer and grows faster in compared to a later age when the nails have hardened a bit. At times the nails also grow inward and leads to bleeding, to avoid such unfavorable nail growth, baby's nail should be trimmed occasionally and as and when required.

When it is easier and safe to trim baby's nail

Parents are recommended to wait till the nails have hardened a bit. Baby's nail trimming can be best done when the baby is asleep or feeding. It is easier to trim baby's nail just after the bath because the nails are softer than usual.

Things to be used while trimming baby's nail

To trim baby's nail, baby nail clippers, nail trimming scissors with rounded ends, emery boards, nail filers can be used.

How baby's nail should be trimmed

How to trim the nails of a baby is an obvious question and utmost care should be taken wile trimming your baby's nail. The whole task of trimming baby's nail becomes easier and safe with both the parents involved in the process. First and foremost, one should find a comfortable and suitable position in a well lit place and get an easy access to the fingers. One has to hold the baby's finger with one hand and cut the nails with the other hand. Push down the pad of the fingers and then cut the nails. You can also file the nails or round the rough edges.

Precaution while trimming baby's nail

Accidentally, you might cut baby's finger while trimming their nails. If the finger bleeds, apply pressure on the point to stop bleeding, after that, apply an antibiotic ointment and cover it with a soft and clean cloth.

With the guidelines provided, the task of trimming your baby's nail will certainly become easier and safe.

Baby's Toiletries

Baby's toiletries as the name says are accessories and essentials that are used to keep the baby healthy and safe and secure on a primary level. Some fancy baby toiletries also make babies look more fresh and chubbier. Baby toiletries are consumed for beautification and hygiene and are marketed under the names of some famous and reputed brands.

Famous Brands of baby Toiletries

• Johnson & Johnson
• Little Me Baby
• Crabtree & Evelyn
• Biobeej
• Avent
• Aromakids
• Shehnaz kids collection

Baby Toiletries

• Baby shampoo and Soap: These products have to be less perfumed, tear-free and mild and should be bought as per the skin type of the baby.
• Baby Lotion and Cream: Type of skin of the baby should determine the parameters of buying products with a fair composition and combination of Vitamin E and milk protein. These products basically help to moisturize the skin of the baby.
• Baby Powder: The granules should be ultra fine and less perfumed. The product should be branded and should be applied regularly to avoid nappy rashes in gentle area.
• Baby Oils and Balms: These products can be used before or after bath and products should have compositions to balance the level of oil and at the same time should be moisturizing and chemical free.
• Nappies, Wipes and Diapers: these baby products are considered essentials and basics. The products should be cotton based and of material which doesn't suffocate the child and helps the skin to breathe.
• Baby Brush, comb and nail accessories: These accessories should have soft bristles and brushes. Nail accessories should have round edges and definitely branded, as branded products ensures on the quality of the product.

Purchase and Use of Baby Toiletries

While purchasing baby products care should be taken on certain aspects. The products should be branded and the natural essentials and the compositions must be noticed while buying baby toiletries. Vitamin E, milk protein forms the main composition of the baby products. Ultra mild, less perfumed and the tear free varieties of products should be bought for the babies. The usage and the instruction given with the products should be followed. If required, parents can also get the products checked from the pediatricians if required. The products and the result may vary with the usage and the type of the skin that the baby has.

Precaution

The result of the usage of certain products should be observed minutely and in cases of rashes and eczema, care should be taken to switch over to products that suit your baby.