Difference between revisions of "Health-and-Nutrition/C2/How-to-bathe-a-newborn/English"

Image: Bathing

Image: Sponge bath

Image: Regular bath

Image: Traditional bath

Image: Hilly area and cold region

Image: A baby with cradle cap

• Safety tips for a mother or a caregiver before and during the bath
• When to give a baby its first bath?
• Sponge bath
• Regular bath
• Traditional bath
• Bath to babies in hilly areas or cold regions and
• Cradle cap

Collage: Safety tips to be followed before bathing

Image: Injury

• All new parents are anxious about how to bathe a newborn.
• Lot of care must be taken while bathing the baby.
• One wrong step can harm the newborn a lot.

Collage: A safety tips to be followed before bathing a baby

Image: Unclipped fingernails Red cross mark

Image: Clipped fingernails with a Green check mark

Image: Rings, bangles and watches

Image: Injury

The safety tips to be followed before bathing a baby -

• The mother or the family member-
  • should always have clipped fingernails before touching the baby and
  • should not wear any rings, bangles or watches.

• This will reduce the chances of injury to the baby.

Image: Sponge bath

Image: Natural delivery, C-section delivery

Image: Clock animation

Image: A baby with umbilical stump

Image: A baby with fallen umbilical cord

• Mother can start giving a sponge bath to the baby after 48 hours of delivery.
• Remember that only sponge bath should be given until the umbilical cord falls off.

Image: Regular bath

• the mother or any other family member can start giving regular bath to the baby.

Image: A baby with low birth weight

Image: Sponge bath

Image: A baby placed on digital weighing scale

• such baby should be given sponge baths until it gains weight up to 2 kilograms.

Image: Sponge bath

Image: Warm room

Image: A room with open windows-Red cross mark

Image: A room with closed windows

Image: Small, soft clean cloth

Before starting, ensure that-

• The room should be warm enough with closed windows.
• Keep a very soft, clean, small cloth ready before giving a sponge bath.

Image: Flat surface

Image: Floor

Image: A baby placed on a high platform with Red cross mark

• The baby should be placed on a safe, flat surface.
• The floor would be the safest one.
• Do not keep the baby on a high platform.

Image: Thermometer and tub

Image: A mother is checking the temperature of the water using her elbow or wrist.

• The temperature of the water for bathing should not be more than 37 degrees celsius.
• Mother should check the temperature of the water using her elbow or wrist.

Image: A tub containing soapy water

Image: A tub containing clean water

Image: Baby soap

• During bathing, first, use soapy water for cleaning.

• To make soapy water-
  • always use any mild, colourless and odourless soap or baby soap.

• Then, use clean water to remove the soap.

Image: Dipped cloth in water

Image: squeezing out excess of water

Image: Wiping the baby’s eye

Image: old cloth and new cloth

Image: Fresh and soft cloth

• Dip the small, soft cloth in water and squeeze out excess water.
• Now wipe the baby’s eye from the inner corner to the outer edge.
• Do not use the same cloth for wiping other body parts.
• Always use a fresh and soft cloth to clean other body parts.

Image: Cleaning the creases underarms

Image: Cleaning the crease behind ears

Image: Cleaning the creases around the neck.

Image: Cleaning the creases near the genital area

• under arms
• behind the ears
• around the neck
• between fingers and toes and
• in the genital area.

Image: Regular bath

Image: Healthy baby

Image: A baby with fallen umbilical cord

• Now that we have discussed what is sponge bath let us learn about regular bath.

Please remember -

• Regular bath should be given to all healthy babies after the umbilical cord falls off.

Image: A tub containing soapy water

Image: Filling bathtub upto 2 inches

Image: mild, colourless baby soap

Image: A tub containing fresh water

Image: A mother is giving a bath to a baby in a bathtub and tap is open with Red cross mark

• First, fill the bathtub up to 2 inches with soapy water.

• To make soapy water-
  • always use any mild colourless and odourless soap or baby soap, as explained earlier.

• Keep another tub ready which contains fresh water.
• Then, check the temperature of the water with your elbow in both the tubs.

Image: A mother checking the temperature of the water

Image: A mother placing the baby in the bath tub

Image: Addition of water during bathing

• 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.
• Do not add extra water when the baby is already in the tub.

Image: Washing the baby’s head

Image: Washing the other body parts of the baby

Image: Washing the baby's genital area

Image: Gently washing the baby with fresh water

• First, wash the baby’s head by using odourless and colourless baby shampoo or soap.
• Then gently wash away the soap with fresh water.
• Next, clean the rest of the body along with the creases and nappy area
  • which is the most contaminated.
• In the end, gently wash the rest of the body with fresh water.

Image: Traditional Indian method of bathing

Image: A mother is sitting on the floor by spreading legs parallel to each other.

Image: A baby is placed on mother’s legs

• 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
  • then, place the baby on your leg
  • baby’s head should be near the mother or caregiver’s feet
  • baby’s feet should be near the mother or caregiver’s abdomen

• Now the baby is in the correct position to be bathed.

Image: A mother drying the baby

Collage: Drying the creases of baby's body.

• Remember to dry the creases as explained earlier.

Image: Talcum powder

Image: A mother applying talcum powder on the baby's abdomen.

Image: Surma and kajal

Image: A mother applying kajal or Surma in the baby's eyes.

Image: Breathing difficulties

• Also avoid using talcum powder or baby powder.
• Baby powders may cause breathing difficulties in newborns.
• Never use surmaa or kajal in the eyes.
• Use surmaa or kajal may lead to lead poisoning and infection in newborns.

Image: Hilly region

Image: Cold region

• hilly areas or
• cold regions.

Image: Sponge bath

Image: Skin to skin contact

Image: A baby with low body temperature

• For babies in such places-
  • a quick daily sponge bath can be given before the cord falls off.

• However, immediately after drying the baby -
  • mother or caregiver must provide skin to skin contact to the baby.

• This will reduce the risk of low body temperature in babies.

Image: Shampooing

GIF: Calendar

• Shampooing should be done twice a week.
• Do not shampoo every day as it will cause dryness of the scalp.

Image: Crusty patches

Image: A baby with Cradle cap

Image: Redness around the baby's scalp

• A newborn may have crusty patches or scales on the scalp.
• This is known as Cradle cap.

• There can be some redness around these patches or the scales.

Image: A baby with Cradle cap

Image: Redness around the scalp

Image: Baby oil

• There is nothing to worry about Cradle cap.
• It will go away on its own and does not need to be treated.
• Baby oil may help soften the scales.

Image: Applying oil on the baby's scalp

Image: Applying excess of oil on the baby's scalp with the Red cross mark

• When applying the oil, rub only small amount into the scales.
• Too much oil may worsen the condition.

Image: Baby Shampoo

GIF: Clock animation

Image: A baby with cradle cap

Image: Shampooing

Image: Brushing out the scales

Image: Pulling the scales with the Red cross mark

• Then, wash the baby's hair with a mild tear-free baby shampoo within an hour or two.
• After that, gently brush out the scales an hour later to avoid more build-up.
• Never pull the scales as it leads to the sore scalp and further infection.

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