Bathing is the most important procedure in the life of an infant. But, alas, many crumbs do not favor her very much. There is an exit! We will try to organize the immersion process in such a way that it brings the child both benefit and pleasure.
A bath with water and a baby splashing in it - this is the picture we imagine when we say "bathing a baby". But it turns out that a different mentality dictates a different approach to the issue. So, in the West, there are two types of bathing an infant. Immediately after birth, until the umbilical wound heals, it is recommended to use a wipe with a damp sponge and only after two or four weeks of age the crumbs are allowed to go to the common baths.
To answer the question of how often to bathe a crumb, you need to understand why to do this. The logical answer: we bathe the baby so that it is clean. If you consider bathing as a purely hygienic procedure, the international standards for newborns are as follows: the bath should be taken 2-3 times a week (naturally, subject to regular washing and washing). Infants do not get so dirty quickly, and it is believed that more frequent bathing can lead to increased dryness of the skin.
But many pediatricians and simply advanced parents prefer not to be confined to such a utilitarian approach, because water - the environment that is customary for a child from the intrauterine period, is absolutely natural and necessary for its development.
«TECHNICAL CONDITIONS»
The usual large bath is the simplest and safest option for bathing an infant.
Pros: it has more space - the child can move freely without the risk of hitting (at least up to four months), it will not turn over, it is easy to recruit and drain water.
Cons: if the bathroom is used by the whole family, then before every bathing of the baby it should be thoroughly washed (using soda, a children's laundry soap based on soap or a gel for washing children's accessories). During bathing, the adult will have to bend over, but you can stand on your knees or sit down on something. If you are afraid of the volume of the bath, pour it for the beginning half or even less.
Another option is a baby bath.
Plus, that in it only the kid will bathe, but the space for swimming is not enough. If you put the bath on a special stand, to make it more comfortable for you, watch out for the stability of the structure. You can swim at any time. In most families there is a traditional evening ritual "bathing - feeding - sleep" (usually in children after bathing there is a good appetite and a sound sleep). If the child, on the contrary, becomes nervous, capricious and can not sleep for a long time, experiment with the choice of time for bathing. Maybe you got a fan of the morning water procedures. The duration of bathing is determined by the mood of the baby. To wash it, it takes 3-5 minutes, the rest of the time - for pleasure and development. The duration of bathing newborns can be 5-10 minutes, by the age of two months you can increase the time to 15-20 minutes, and half a year and half an hour from the water can not pull out. The water temperature, optimal for bathing an infant, is from 28 to 36 ° C. For the first dives, warm the water to 36 ° C - body temperature. If there is no thermometer, you can check the water temperature with your elbow or the inside of your wrist (at 36 ° C you will not feel any heat or cold). Water, which seems normal to the hands, will be hot for the baby. It's a rule to always touch the water with your hand before you immerse the child in it.
Gradually lower the temperature of the water (about one degree per two weeks) in accordance with the sensations of your crumbs. And that such advice is not very surprising to you, is an example from history. In Russia water for baptism was not heated even in winter (baptized children, as a rule, on the 8th day after childbirth). The baby was dipped three times in a font with well water, in which sometimes the unburned ice floes floated. "Immersion" was not only not considered dangerous for the life of a newborn, but was seen as an action that was conducive to health. I do not in any way encourage you to experiment on your own child, but I want to emphasize that the possibilities of compensation for newborns are simply unbelievable.
ADDITIVES TO WATER
It is not necessary to boil water for bathing, provided, of course, that you take it not from a pond, but from a water pipe or other trusted source. Nevertheless, until the umbilical wound has healed, minimal disinfection is still needed. Traditionally, potassium permanganate (manganese) is used for this purpose. Prepare a concentrated solution and add it to the bathing water until a slightly pink color is obtained (to avoid entering the crystal bath, strain the solution through several layers of gauze). An alternative to potassium permanganate is medicinal herbs: chamomile broths, strings or celandine, bathing infants. Keep in mind that both potassium permanganate and herbs can cause dry skin, so do not get carried away - as soon as the crust on the navel falls off, you do not need to add anything to the bathing water.
You will need a bathing agent. It does not matter what it will be - gel, foam, liquid soap (but not hard, which contains alkali!) - the main thing is that the remedy is intended for newborns. If the baby has a rich head of hair, you can wash it with shampoo marked "for newborns." Shampoos in bright bubbles with exotic odorants are usually for children over two years old. On the packaging should be indicated "without tears", which means the absence of soap and dyes in the composition. Washcloths and sponges - things for swimming are not at all obligatory. Mom's hands are much more pleasant for a baby and are washed more efficiently. If you want to use sponges, buy those that are made of natural materials, easily washed and quickly dry.
And, at last, the main thing: to bathe the child and wash his head using the listed means, it is necessary not more often 1-2 times a week. All other "water procedures" are carried out simply in clean water.
PROCESS IN DETAILS
Prepare everything you need not to run afterwards with a wet child in your arms around the house, frantically trying to find something you need.
Undress the child, wash it under running water, if necessary, and immerse in water. If you bathe the baby in a large bath, it is enough to support only the head (with one hand under the back of the head, the second under the chin) in such a way that above the water there was only the face of the child (ears in water). In the body of babies, there is relatively more fat than adults, which means less specific weight and more "buoyancy" - they easily stay on the water. In this position, lead the baby in the bath with the "eight" (encourage him to push off from the sides with his legs), turn over on his stomach (hold only the head at the same time) and repeat the same. These are the basic simple "styles" of swimming for babies. In a small bath, hold the child in such a way that his head lies on your forearm, and keep it under your arms with a brush. You can use a slide (plastic or fabric), which is put in the bath for convenience.
Another option is a bath with a special anatomical bottom. The main rule: never leave your child during bathing unattended. Wash the baby at the end of the procedure, beginning with the neck and ending with the perineal region. If you are going to wash his head, it is better to do it in the last turn. At the end of the bath, remove the baby from the water, wrap in a towel and pat dry. To put on after bathing a cap ("not to get cold"), and even more so to dry the head of the baby with a hairdryer is not necessary. If the skin of a child is good, clean, then after bathing it can not be treated in any way; wipe, or rather, get wet dry - the best means of preventing diaper rash. If necessary, you can handle wrinkles with oil (baby or Vaseline) or baby powder (or ordinary starch) - but not both! Sometimes, the skin of healthy children periodically becomes dry and begins to peel off. Possible causes: physiological peeling in the first month of life, hard or hot water, an unsuitable or frequently used detergent. In this situation, you can use after bathing with lotion, milk or low-fat cream.
PURE OR STERILITY?
I would like to warn overly diligent parents from manic compliance with hygiene rules. Do not seek to keep a child of any age, including a newborn, under sterile conditions. Perhaps you find it strange to get such advice from a pediatrician: it is known that the cleaner the environment, the healthier the child, you think. Nevertheless, the data of large-scale studies indicate the opposite.
It was found that increasing hygiene requirements and reducing the number of children in families led to an increase in the incidence of asthma and allergy in developed countries, as well as autoimmune diseases (type I diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus). But in developing countries this does not happen. Reducing contact with microbes leads to the fact that the untrained immune system begins to perceive harmless stimuli (like pollen or dust) as serious enemies.
On the contrary, children who grew up in rural "non-sterile" conditions, who had been in contact with infancy with domestic animals, are twice as likely to suffer from asthma. According to Professor W. Parker, who researched this question, "such an immune system reminds a person who lives in a beautiful comfortable dwelling and has any food he wants: without other cares, he begins to worry about trifles, for example, then stepped on a flower bed. "
Therefore, try not to worry about trifles, and the time saved on hovering the ideal cleanliness in the house, dedicate better to communication with your baby and family rest.
ELMIRA MAMEDOVA, a pediatrician.
WHAT STILL ISSUES CAN BE ACHIEVED BY BATHING
- Warm (not hot!) Water well relaxes and soothes the baby, reduces the increased muscle tone, relieves colic.
- Swimming is the simplest and most effective way to stimulate the child's physical and intellectual development.
- Quenching with water is much more effective than hardening with air baths (the thermal conductivity of water is 30 times higher than that of air).
- Bathing is a real pleasure for mom and baby, an excellent way of contact, as well as a good reason to draw a dad to the process.