Congrats and Welcome to parenthood, which is a joy and also a responsibility. Know how to take care of your little one with a background of scientific evidence.
The following are the basics concepts of newborn care :
- Maintain warmth of the baby.
- Exclusive Breastfeeding upto 6 months
- Provide a clean & healthy environment.
- Know the Danger signs and seek help from a healthcare facility.
- Vaccination on time as per the schedule.
How to know that my baby is maintaining his/her adequate warmth ?
- Feet & palm should be mild rose pink coloured. Never blue or pale.
- Soles and palms should be just warm to touch (felt by using the back surface of your hand) and should be same as the warmth of abdomen skin.
How to maintain warmth ?
- Swaddling babies (upto 3 months old) either with cotton cloth or with a swaddle bed.
- Air conditioning can be used. Set the temperature above 25 degrees.
- Use 100% cotton clothes, long sleeves to cover limbs, preferably buttonless, that should not make the baby too warm or cold.
How to provide a healthy environment for my baby at home?
- Try to wet mop the floor, instead of dry dusting.
- Avoid smoke entry into baby’s room (kitchen/tobacco/mosquito coil)
- Use mosquito nets to protect the baby from mosquito borne diseases.
- Restrict pets into the baby area.
- Advise visitors not to handle the baby without washing their hands.
- Wash baby clothes daily and sundry regularly.
When can I give a bath to my baby ?
- Babies >2.5 kg can be given a regular bath after 24 hrs of birth.
- Traditionally Paediatricians used to advise for sponge bath till the umbilical cord falls (usually happens at 5-10 days of life) and thereafter to start routine regular bath. But there is no strict rule.
- Preterm babies, better to give sponge baths until they attain 2.5 kg.
- Regular Bath can be given daily in summer and once in 2-3 days in winter.
How to give a bath and what precautions should I take ?
- Regular bath can be given either in a tub or in a traditional Indian way (keeping the baby in between the stretched legs while sitting).
- Lukewarm water (37 deg C) should be used.
- Cleansers should be preferred over soap. Look for baby cleansers with Neutral PH or slightly acidic PH which has mild or no fragrance.
- Duration of bath : Restrict to 5-10 mins.
- Pat dry from Head to toe. Make sure Umbilical area is kept dry.
Can I give a regular head bath to my baby ?
- Twice a week or whenever necessary.
- Baby shampoo (note the same features like cleansers) that is non-irritant to eyes. There are products available in the market which work both as cleansers & shampoo.
- No sambrani/camphor after hair after bath.
Should I use any baby cream after bathing ? Emollients /Moisturizers/Oil ?
- They enhance skin barrier function,hydration and help to maintain warmth.
- Apply any baby moisturiser twice daily to keep skin hydrated.
- Vegetable oils (Coconut oil) can be used if not able to afford moisturiser.
Should I do Oil massage for my baby ?
- Promotes circulation, growth, weight gain and sleep.
- In summer , do before bath and in winter, do after bath.
- Make sure the massager has trimmed the nails and not wearing ornaments that can injure the baby.
Any specific care to be given to Umbilical cord ?
- Usually it falls by 5 to10 days
- Clean daily with Lukewarm water/wet cotton and keep it dry.
- No need to apply anything over it.
- If using a diaper, fold them down so that it doesn’t touch Umbilical cord.
How to take care of my baby's Eyes ?
- Daily clean eyes with cotton soaked in Lukewarm water.
- Pls Don’t apply kajal.
- Cut the nails and keep them short to prevent self injury.
Clean baby’s eyes with a piece of cotton soaked in warm water, clean from inside outward
Cloth nappy or Diaper ? How to take care of my baby’s Diaper area ?
- Cloth nappies should be preferred over diapers.
- Diapers can also be used while taking the baby out of home.
- Change diaper/cloth frequently, every 3-4 hrs. Don’t allow it to soak.
- Keep the area clean and dry.
- Use soft cotton cloth with water or soaked cotton to clean the soiled area and then pat dry. Never rub over the skin.
- Can apply coconut oil over the area after cleaning.
- In case diapers are used, barrier creams containing zinc oxide and petrolatum based preparation could be used
Where should I make my baby sleep? (Bed vs Cradle vs Traditional thooli)
- Cradles provide a soothing comfort sleep as they can be swayed, but not advised to use after the baby sits up at around 6 months.
- Traditional thooli/Baby hammock (made of cotton saree/dhoti) can be used, knowing the risks & benefits. It has proven benefits of initiating a soothing comfort sleep as it sways and promotes development of round head shape. But there is a risk of suffocation when left unattended and fall (after 5 months of age when they roll over).
- After they go in deep sleep in hammocks/cradles they can be shifted to beds.
- Baby Cots with bed and side railings, depending on their size can be used till they grow into 2 years.
- At night you can make the baby sleep in bed along with you, as it will be easy to nurse frequently. But be careful that you do not sleep over the baby. Ready made Baby pillows or Traditional baby pillows made of dried yellow mustard or rai seeds mould the head and prevent it from becoming flat at the back.
Any other medicines/supplements needed for the baby ?
- Vitamin D : We recommend Vitamin D Drops (400 IU/ml) to give 1 ml once daily upto 1 year of age.
- Sunlight exposure : 10-15 minutes daily , 5 days a week helps baby skin to produce vitamin D naturally.
