Ekaterina Morozova
Reading time: 7 minutes
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With newborn girls, young mothers usually do not have hygienic problems - everything is extremely simple there. But the hygiene of a newborn boy has its own characteristics. What mom needs to know, and how to wash her tiny man correctly?
- The first rule is to wash your baby regularly after each diaper change. The foreskin of a newborn boy is narrowed (physiological phimosis) - this feature will go away on its own after 3-5 years. Inside the foreskin are sebaceous glands that produce lubrication. And if you get by only with evening bathing, ignoring the washing of the child after changing the diaper, then favorable conditions are created under the foreskin for the multiplication of bacteria that cause inflammatory processes.
- Removing smegma. The sebaceous glands inside the foreskin secrete a special secret - it, in turn, accumulates in the foreskin sac, forming smegma (white flakes, unpleasant odor). With the accumulation of smegma, it can lead to balanoposthitis (inflammation of the glans penis, signs - swelling of the skin covering the glans, redness, crying crumbs). To avoid trouble, in addition to a surface toilet, you need to remember about the nightly (if necessary) removal of smegma. How to do it? Pull the foreskin slightly (without pressure, gently) with two fingers; remove all smegma with a swab dipped in boiled vegetable oil, so that there are no fibers or pieces of cotton wool; grease the head with a drop of the same oil; lower the foreskin. It is forbidden to soap the head of the penis, crawl under the foreskin with cotton swabs or try to clean the smegma with your fingers.
- If the skin of the foreskin is red. In this situation, use a weak solution of potassium permanganate or dioxidine (consultation with a doctor is required!): gently push back the foreskin, treat the inflamed skin with a tampon dipped in potassium permanganate.
- Give your little one plenty of water. The more often you urinate, the lower the risk of urethral inflammation.
- The nuances of washing. The crumbs are washed with running warm water, with soft and gentle movements: first, they wash the ass, then lay the baby on the elbow and direct the stream from the penis to the scrotum. To avoid overdrying the skin, do not use soap. If the remains of feces are not completely washed off, do not rub the child with a washcloth - the skin is still too delicate! Place the baby on the changing table and gently cleanse the skin with a cotton pad dipped in the same boiled vegetable oil (keep the oil in the refrigerator).
- Air baths. Immediately after washing, do not rush to pull on the diaper on the crumbs. 10-15 minutes of air baths in a warm room will do him good.
- To avoid diaper rash and rashes, do not forget to treat the groin folds with suitable products. (cream, powder or vegetable oil). Do not use powder on areas already treated with oil or cream - the resulting lumps can damage the skin. Diaper rash remedies are usually applied to the buttocks and testicles, around the anus, on the scrotum, and around the penis.
- Remember to change your diapers every 3 hours and immediately after you have a bowel movement. The longer the baby lies in the filled diaper, the higher the risk of inflammation - be careful about the baby's hygiene.
- Don't overheat your baby's bottom. Even in winter, you should not dress the baby in "cabbage", putting on tights and a couple of pants "for comfort". Overheating is fraught with consequences. Therefore, use thermal underwear, choose clothes by size (not tight!) And only from natural fabrics.
- Bathing a little man should take place daily before bed. (no soap). 1-2 times a week, you can bathe your baby with herbs (string, chamomile). It is not recommended to add bath foam. The soap is applied once a week (on the "bath" day) and should only be used on the baby.
Talk to your doctor before sliding your baby's foreskin for hygiene procedures. Each crumb has its own physiological characteristics, and your main task is to maintain hygiene without harm to the baby. In the first bathing, try to bare the head only slightly, gently and quickly rinse with water and again "hide" it under the foreskin. It is necessary to move (as carefully as possible) the foreskin, whatever the "girlfriends" advise there. Firstly, it is a matter of hygiene, and secondly, this should be done in order to avoid the formation of adhesions. But rude interference is strictly prohibited - be extremely careful.
See a doctor if ...
- The scrotum is swollen, painful, redness is present.
- Mumps (mumps) was transferred.
- There was a perineal injury.
- There is swelling, redness of the penis.
- There is a delay in urination.
- The head does not close.
Be attentive to your baby, and do not neglect the rules of hygiene.
All information in this article is for educational purposes only, it may not correspond to the specific circumstances of your child's health, and is not a medical recommendation. The сolady.ru website reminds you that you should never delay or ignore your visit to a doctor!
After the birth of a baby, many mothers have the question of how to properly wash a newborn. They master the feeding technique quickly, and there are no difficulties with changing diapers. But how to hold a newborn when washing, raises many questions for young mothers.
Main rules
The procedure for intimate hygiene of a newborn girl is somewhat different from the same procedure for a male baby. And this is obvious. The difference in flushing is caused by a difference in the structure of the genitals. However, a number of fundamental principles are known that are completely independent of this.
These include the following tips:
- Diaper change. Its replacement occurs after each bowel movement of the baby. In terms of time, this is no more than 3-4 hours. After emptying the intestines and before changing the diaper, the baby is washed with tap water, in the first month after birth - only boiled.
- How to keep a newborn while washing and carry out the procedure during the day? It is not necessary to wash the baby under running water after each diaper change if the contamination is insignificant. You can wipe your baby's skin with wet wipes or cotton pads. All movements are carried out from front to back.
- Mom or Dad should wash their hands well with soap and water before undergoing a procedure for caring for the genitals of a newborn. This must be done before the actual process.
- How to wash a baby? If this is done under a thin stream of warm water, then the baby is placed on his hand with his tummy down so that his head touches the elbow. It is very important that its position is fixed. In this case, the parents hold the child by the hips and gently wash the genitals with their free hand. If the contamination is insignificant, then for the procedure it is enough to put it on the changing table.
- The temperature of the water for washing the baby should not be too hot, but not too cold. It can be 36 degrees. If there is no thermometer, then the old and proven method is used. An elbow is lowered into the water, if the mother does not experience any negative sensations, then she is ready for use.
- To wash the baby, it is allowed to use soap if the contamination on his body is significant. If it's just a diaper change, then you can use wet wipes. Use only baby soap. The washcloth and sponges should be used exclusively for washing your baby.
If soap has been used for water procedures, then it should be thoroughly washed off the skin. Particular attention is paid to folds. Because soapy water residues can cause allergies or skin irritation.
The constant use of detergents can harm delicate baby skin. Pediatricians recommend using ordinary running water for the procedure.
How to care for baby's skin
How to hold a newborn while washing? After the procedure, care must be taken to prevent irritation and redness on the baby's skin. Therefore, it is not recommended to wipe it off after washing, but it should be done with blotting movements using a soft terry towel until the moisture completely disappears.
After the procedure, treat the skin with cosmetic oil or powder. It is not recommended to combine these funds. After all, they have different effects: oil - moisturizing, and powder - drying. Therefore, they are used in different situations.
For dry skin, oil is used, and for diaper rash, powder is used. If the mother found prickly heat, diaper rash in the genital area, then you need to resort to a special tool in the form of a cream for a diaper.
What is needed to wash
How to hold a newborn while washing? A photo of the procedure is presented in the article. Before starting it, you must prepare the following devices:
- diaper, diaper and romper;
- wet wipes, cotton pads, or paper towels;
- soft terry towel;
- oil or dusting powder.
All the necessary components for the procedure should be prepared by the mother in advance so as not to be distracted while washing.
Choice of hygiene products
Currently, there is a huge selection of cosmetics with which to care for the genitals of newborns.
When choosing them, parents should pay attention to their safety when buying. As for wet wipes, they should be free of alcohol.
Soap products should be free of parabens and fragrances. They should be purchased marked with a "0" mark.
For babies, they are often bought as a cream for a diaper - "Bepanten". It can be applied daily.
With healthy baby skin, oils are the best option. If diaper rash occurs, powder is needed.
Algorithm of the procedure
How to keep a newborn while washing under the tap? The procedure should take place at a temperature of 37 ° C. Movement when washing from front to back, regardless of the gender of the child. This procedure prevents infection from entering the genitals. It is necessary to wash the baby under the tap with the tummy up. After the procedure, the genitals of the newborn are dried with a diaper or a soft towel with blotting movements.
How to properly hold a newborn when washing? It is not recommended to wash the child with soap every time. After all, this can harm the delicate skin of the newborn. A gel or soap is only necessary for stubborn dirt that needs to be removed.
For frequent procedures, it is enough to use running water. Using a warm oil compress, you can use cotton swabs to loosen feces from your baby's skin.
The principles of proper washing of a boy
The peculiarities of caring for a male baby include the need to wash after each diaper change.
How to keep a newborn boy while washing away? This should be done carefully so as not to cause any damage to the baby.
Parents need to wash their hands before starting the procedure. To avoid getting the infection from the stool to the genitals, the child does not need to be held with the ass up. When washing the boy, the penis is washed from the outside so as not to touch him with his hands.
The soap should not be used continuously to avoid irritation and redness of the baby's skin. Using boiled water when bathing and washing boys is not the main condition. This is done only in the first month after birth. Later, warm tap water is used.
After water procedures, do not wipe the boy's genitals too much, but it is best to get them wet. After that, air baths are carried out.
To keep the baby's genitals clean, use wet wipes, which are used specifically for newborns. If the mother observes all the rules for washing, then the boy, having matured, will be able to do it on his own.
The intimate hygiene of a newborn serves as the main guarantee of his health, which subsequently determines his reproductive abilities.
How to properly hold a newborn boy when washing? Most pediatricians believe that his personal hygiene is about washing his genitals daily with baby soap. No special procedures are required.
External processing of the genitals does not mean invasion of the boy's foreskin. Such intervention can be traumatic. In addition, rinsing there is completely useless. The smegma that forms under the foreskin serves as a protective barrier. If the mother constantly pulls back the delicate skin on the penis, then over time nothing will remain of the special protection.
With the correct washing of the boy, there is no need to carry out any pulling, turning and bending. It is not recommended to touch the boy's penis with your hands. The less touching, the healthier it will be.
Intimate hygiene of a newborn girl
Washing is an important aspect of baby care. Indeed, her sexual health largely depends on the correctness of the process.
How to properly hold a newborn girl when washing? The following list of general requirements can be attributed to childcare:
- Regularity. Due to the anatomical structure, the girl's reproductive system reacts sharply to external stimuli. She has her own special microflora, which in the future will protect a woman from many bacteria. However, such a function is just being formed, so it is important to prevent pathogenic microflora from getting on the girl's genitals and to wash it regularly.
- Gentleness. Due to the fact that the protective microflora is not sufficiently developed, it is important not to allow the correct bacteria to be removed from the labia. For this, sparing agents are used, which can be used no more than 3 times a week. On other days, it is enough to wash the girl with running water.
- Accuracy. The mucous membrane of newborn girls is incredibly delicate. With a strong mechanical impact on it, this can lead to microtraumas. Subsequently, this leads to the appearance of synechia - fusion of the labia minora.
- Reasonableness. In babies in the first days of life, transparent, less often - spotting from the vagina can be observed. Excess natural grease should be removed without effort. It contributes to the formation of the correct microflora of the genital organs, and it also prevents the onset of synechia.
For a safe procedure, all of the above recommendations must be taken into account.
Washing a newborn girl
The procedure must be carried out correctly, because this can lead to the development of various pathologies in the future.
How to hold a newborn girl while washing? It consists of the following steps:
- The stream of water is directed from front to back. This is done in order to prevent infection from entering the anus into the vagina.
- After washing, dry the girl's intimate areas with a soft towel.
- You need to wait some time for the skin to dry completely.
- Next, put on a clean diaper.
Powder or oil can be applied if necessary. To prevent irritation and redness, use a special diaper cream.
Conclusion
Due to the fact that washing a newborn is a necessary procedure that is related to the health of the genitals, it must be carried out correctly. Due to the difference in their structure in boys and girls, the process has some peculiarities.
