Safety lies in cleaning the private parts of the baby: Baby Genital Care

Baby Genital Care: The cleanliness of the private parts of the baby is very important for his overall safety. Let's know about this-

A child is dependent on his mother for every need related to his upbringing, so it becomes very important to pay special attention to his hygiene. It is generally assumed that by bathing the child, all his cleaning is done. Actually it is not so. These parts of the body require special care and hygiene. Also, due to the different physical structure of boys and girls, the method of cleaning them is also different-

Also read: Magnesium is very essential for the body: Health Benefits of Magnesium

Cleaning of daughter's private parts

1. While bathing your daughter, wash her private parts thoroughly.
2. Check every hour during the day and at least once at night to see if your daughter's nappy needs to be changed. If necessary, change the nappy immediately, as dirty and wet nappies can cause irritation to the baby's skin.

• 3. In the first week, wash the diaper area with water or add a little liquid cleaner to the water. You can also use baby wipes.
• 4. Avoid using baby soaps or baby wipes that contain alcohol as these can disturb your baby’s natural balance.
• 5. Try to let your baby go without a nappy as much as possible. Do not rush to put on a new nappy
  Don't do it.
• 6. Clean his body parts thoroughly with baby wipes from top to bottom and front to back. By doing this, bacteria will not enter his genitals.
• 7. After cleaning the genitals, wipe them with a clean cloth.
• 8. Keep in mind that in the first few weeks, the baby's private parts are swollen and red. If some white discharge or a little blood comes out, do not panic as this is normal. When your daughter was in your womb, she was exposed to your hormones. If this happens even after six weeks, talk to your doctor.

Cleaning my son's private parts

1. While changing the nappy, clean his/her private parts thoroughly.

2. For this, dip the cotton in clean water and clean it.

3. You can also use baby wipes, as they are also as soft as cotton.
4. The foreskin of the baby's genitals is attached to his private parts, so do not try to separate it yourself. It will separate on its own when he is two-three years old.
5. If your child's foreskin has to be cut according to your religion, then you can clean his genitals while bathing, but do not use soap water for this, rather
Use only clean plain water.
6. After bathing, you can apply Vaseline on him. While putting on the nappy, keep his private part facing downwards.
7. For a few days, you will find his genitals swollen and red and you may also see some yellow waste coming out of it. Do not be alarmed by this, as these are all common signs of healing of the injury.
8. If infection occurs, the redness on the genitals does not go away and blood comes out and it remains swollen. The baby also feels pain when it gets wet. As soon as any such symptoms appear, consult your doctor immediately.

How to change a nappy

Babies need to change their nappies often, but how often depends on the sensitivity of their skin. Very young babies may need 10 to 12 nappies changed, while older babies may need 6 to 8.
1. If the baby has soiled the nappy, clean all the areas around the nappy thoroughly and carefully. Especially inside the folds of skin.
2. If you are using disposable nappies, then make sure that no cream or water gets on the adhesive part.
3. If you are using cloth nappies then put in the nappy liner and tie the nappy.
4. Lay your baby on the changing mat without a nappy for some time, as using a nappy all the time can cause rashes in babies.

5. Always change the baby's nappy by laying him/her on a changing mat or on the floor.

6. While changing the nappy, never go away from the child and never take your eyes off him. You can distract him by giving him a toy.
7. Keep talking to the child while changing the nappy. Laughing and smiling with them will make them understand you and it is also good for the development of the child. Keep these things in mind: The foreskin of the child is attached to his private parts, so do not try to separate it yourself. When the child is two-three years old, it will separate on its own.

• If your baby's foreskin has to be cut according to your religion, then you can clean his genitals while bathing, but do not use soapy water for this, instead use clean plain water.
  (Based on a conversation with Dr. Anil Batra, Pediatrician, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Faridabad)