Health-and-Nutrition/C2/How-to-bathe-a-newborn/English-timed

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Time
Narration
00:00 Welcome to the Spoken Tutorial on How to bathe a newborn.
00:06 In this tutorial, we will learn about- safety tips for a mother or a caregiver before and during the bath,
00:14 When to give a baby its first bath,

Sponge bath,

00:20 Regular bath,

Traditional bath,

00:23 Bath to babies in hilly areas or cold regions and

Cradle cap.

00:31 All new parents are anxious about how to bathe a newborn.
00:37 Lot of care must be taken while bathing the baby.
00:41 One wrong step can harm the newborn a lot.
00:46 Before we begin, it is important to know the safety tips to be followed before bathing a baby -
00:54 The mother or the family member- should always have clipped fingernails before touching the baby and
01:02 should not wear any rings, bangles or watches.
01:07 This will reduce the chances of injury to the baby.
01:11 So, when to give a baby its first bath?
01:15 Mother can start giving a sponge bath to the baby after 48 hours of delivery.
01:22 Remember that only sponge bath should be given until the umbilical cord falls off.
01:28 Once the cord falls off, the mother or any other family member can start giving regular bath to the baby.
01:37 However, in case a baby has low birth weight then such baby should be given sponge baths until it gains weight up to 2 kilograms.
01:49 Let us see how sponge bath is given.
01:53 Before starting, ensure that the room should be warm enough with closed windows.
02:00 Keep a very soft, clean, small cloth ready before giving a sponge bath.
02:06 The baby should be placed on a safe, flat surface.
02:12 The floor would be the safest one.
02:15 Do not keep the baby on a high platform.
02:19 The temperature of the water for bathing should not be more than 37 degrees celsius.
02:26 Mother should check the temperature of the water using her elbow or wrist.
02:32 During bathing, first use soapy water for cleaning.
02:37 To make soapy water always use any mild, colourless and odourless soap or baby soap.
02:45 Then use clean water to remove the soap.
02:50 Dip the small, soft cloth in water and squeeze out excess water.
02:56 Now wipe the baby’s eye from the inner corner to the outer edge.
03:02 Do not use the same cloth for wiping other body parts.
03:06 Always use a fresh and soft cloth to clean other body parts.
03:11 Also, do not forget to clean creases -

under arms,

behind the ears,

03:18 around the neck,

between fingers and toes and in the genital area.

03:24 Now that we have discussed what is sponge-bath, let us learn about regular bath.
03:31 Please remember; regular bath should be given to all healthy babies after the umbilical cord falls off.
03:39 During a regular bath, if you are using a bathtub - first, fill the bathtub up to 2 inches with soapy water.
03:48 To make soapy water, always use any mild colourless and odourless soap or baby soap as explained earlier.
03:58 Keep another tub ready which contains fresh water.
04:03 Then, check the temperature of the water with your elbow in both the tubs.
04:08 After you are satisfied with the temperature of the water, very carefully place the baby in the tub which contains soapy water, ensuring that the head is supported always.
04:22 Do not add extra water when the baby is already in the tub.
04:27 To begin with- First, wash the baby’s head using odourless and colourless baby shampoo or soap.
04:35 Then gently wash away the soap with fresh water.
04:39 Next, clean the rest of the body along with the creases and nappy area which is the most contaminated.
04:47 In the end, gently wash the rest of the body with fresh water.
04:53 On the other hand - If the mother or caregiver wants to give bath to the baby in the traditional Indian method then sit on the floor by spreading your legs parallel to each other.
05:06 Then, place the baby on your leg.
05:09 Baby’s head should be near the mother or caregiver’s feet.
05:14 Baby’s feet should be near the mother or caregiver’s abdomen.
05:20 Now the baby is in the correct position to be bathed.
05:24 After bathing, dry the baby immediately using soft and clean towels.
05:30 Remember to dry the creases as explained earlier.
05:34 Also avoid using talcum powder or baby powder.
05:40 Baby powders may cause breathing difficulties in newborns.
05:45 Never use surmaa or kajal in the eyes.
05:49 Use of surmaa or kajal may lead to lead poisoning and infection in newborns.
05:56 Interestingly, special care must be taken for the babies living in hilly areas or cold regions.
06:04 For babies in such places, a quick daily sponge bath can be given before the cord falls off.
06:11 However, immediately after drying the baby, mother or caregiver must provide skin to skin contact to the baby.
06:20 This will reduce the risk of low body temperature in babies.
06:25 Please note that shampooing should be done twice a week.
06:30 Do not shampoo every day as it will cause dryness of the scalp.
06:35 It might also happen that a newborn may have crusty patches or scales on the scalp.

This is known as Cradle cap.

06:45 There can be some redness around these patches or the scales.
06:50 Note that there is nothing to worry about Cradle cap.
06:54 It will go away on its own and does not need to be treated.
06:59 Baby oil may help soften the scales.
07:03 When applying the oil, rub only small amount into the scales.
07:08 Too much oil may worsen the condition.
07:12 Then, wash the baby's hair with a mild tear-free baby shampoo within an hour or two.
07:20 After that, gently brush out the scales an hour later to avoid more build-up.
07:27 Never pull the scales as it leads to the sore scalp and further infection.
07:33 This brings us to the end of this tutorial.

Thanks for joining.

Contributors and Content Editors

Debosmita, PoojaMoolya, Sandhya.np14