Caring for your newborn – some simple tips
Taking care of your new born involves care and utmost hygiene, so that your tiny tot does not fall ill.
The most exciting and memorable day of your life was the day you brought your baby home. Even before the baby arrived, you spent all your time decorating the nursery and cleaning the house. And then your cleaning duties quadrupled after the baby arrived. Since the immune systems of infants are not quite developed, they can catch infections faster. There is no alternative but to keep the house as free of germs as possible.
Check out these simple tips for new born baby care:
Wash your hands often. The monsoon season brings with it cooling breezes and a whole lot of germs. The damp atmosphere encourages fungal and bacterial growth all over the house. You might inadvertently carry flu or common cold germs to your baby, so the best thing to do is wash your hands with Dettol antibacterial soap multiple times during the day. Wash your hands before you prepare the baby’s formula, give the baby a bath, handle the sippy cup or teething ring, and even when dressing or changing the baby. Wash all of baby’s things in antibacterial soap or detergent and let them air dry before use.
Keep away if you’re unwell. It is common to catch a cold during this season, and equally easy to pass it on to your baby. It is best to keep away from your baby if you have a fever or a runny nose. If you must handle the baby (for feeding or changing), wear latex gloves and don a clean set of clothes before picking up the child.
Store baby’s diapers in a dry place. All items that are left undisturbed for some period of time will attract mould and fungal growth. These can cause skin irritation for your baby. Always buy sealable diaper packets and keep naphthalene balls or silica gel packets in the diaper drawer to absorb moisture. Keep wipes, talcum powder and a changing flannel in the same drawer, so that you can change the baby quickly.
Disinfecting the house. New born care also includes keeping the house unconditionally clean. Apart from flies and mosquitoes flying in and spreading diseases, your house might attract cockroaches, germs, fungal and bacterial infections. Spraying all plastic, metal and glass surfaces with Dettol Multi-Use Hygiene antibacterial liquid cleaners, mopping the floors with disinfectant soap and using Dettol Multi-Purpose cleaning wipes on spills will keep germs and bacterial infections at bay. Focus your energies on keeping the kitchen, bathroom and wash basin clean and free of germs. Also get your house fumigated to keep flies and other insects away.
Be careful with baby’s clothes. You wash your hands before handling the baby and put several hygiene checks in place to keep your house clean. It is prudent to exercise similar precautions with the baby’s clothes and toys as well. The baby’s clothes should not be washed with the rest of your laundry load. Wash the baby’s clothes and intimates separately with fabric softener and mild anti-bacterial detergent. Air dry all the clothes and accessories, and steam dry any metal or rubber implements or toys. Also, even if your baby wears diapers and there is minimal chance of bedwetting, do change the baby’s bedding every two days to keep germs away.
