Newborn skin care
The skin of a newborn baby, so soft and velvety, is still defenseless against many environmental factors, and therefore needs special care. The fact is that a child who has just been born has not yet developed its own immunity, including local skin protection factors. The activity of the skin appendages - the sebaceous and sweat glands, which serve as an additional protective mechanism - is insufficient. That is why the skin of babies is so easily injured even with a slight traumatic effect on it.
The main danger at this age is diaper rash, or diaper dermatitis. Diaper dermatitis is an inflammation that forms at the site of skin maceration in the presence of moisture and friction. The place of high humidity on the skin of a newborn is the diaper zone, and friction is also present there, because the baby, when awake, often twists its legs. Moisture from exposure to urine is more dangerous than moisture alone, as urine can corrode the skin even more. What can be done to make the newborn's skin as little as possible endangered?
First of all, it is necessary to ensure good hygiene conditions. This means that the baby needs to be washed with warm water several times a day, make sure that the diaper does not overflow, that is, change it in a timely manner. It is highly desirable to do air baths, that is, for a while, take off the diaper altogether, letting the newborn's skin "breathe", dry completely and remain open.
You need to bathe a small child every day, but not every day using detergents. Pediatricians are inclined to believe that the first month of a child's life when bathing, soap, gels and shampoos should not be used at all, just taking a bath at a warm temperature, perhaps with the addition of decoctions of medicinal herbs with antiseptic action: decoction of chamomile, string, sage. In this case, it is necessary to ensure
that small particles of herbs do not get on the baby's skin and do not serve as an additional source of irritation.
After bathing or washing, the skin of the newborn baby is dried by gently blotting it with a diaper. If there are irritations, they are treated with special ointments or creams containing mild antiseptics and healing agents, and only then a clean diaper is put on. If parents use disposable diapers in caring for a child, you should only trust trusted, well-established companies. Otherwise, substandard disposable diapers cause a greenhouse effect that promotes inflammation.
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