From the first minutes of its birth the child meets the environment: smells, water, air and microorganisms ... And not all these factors are useful for his health. Protect your child from aggressive elements of the environment, in the first place, should the skin - this is one of the main barrier systems of the human body. Important here is the role and mucous membranes, especially in girls. Being the main barrier to infection, they preserve the microflora of the genital canal in the norm and ensure the formation and normal functioning of the reproductive system. But in babies, the mucous membranes of the external genitalia differ markedly from the mucous in an adult woman, and therefore the hygiene of the reproductive organs of the girl must be special.
In girls, physiological defense mechanisms are functionally and anatomically not developed, and the role of autonomous immune mechanisms is minimal, as they are just beginning to form. Most mothers believe that girls should not have secretions from the genital organs. This opinion is erroneous. In each age period, normally, there is a physiological and natural vaginal discharge, which consists of ejaculated epithelial cells, moisture exudates, urine impurities and a number of conditioned microorganisms. In connection with changes in the hormonal background, in certain periods of a child's life, there may be increases in vaginal discharge. Mostly this happens in the first three to four weeks, then in seven to nine and thirteen years. In addition, a normal phenomenon this can be a plump girls and blondes, who are prone to allergic processes. In order to teach the girl from the earliest childhood the hygiene of intimate organs and properly take care of skin and mucous membranes, you need to know these features.
The pledge of health is purity.
The role of hygiene in the prevention of inflammatory diseases of the external genitalia is very great. The main reason for such diseases is precisely the failure to observe the basic rules of personal hygiene. It should be remembered that the genital area should always be dry, clean and well ventilated, in addition, do not allow supercooling or overheating. Moms differently imagine the correct washing of the child. Some wash the child entirely, in no case touching the genitals, others believe that the child needs to be washed from ears to feet daily with the help of household soap.
What are the basic rules?
- The child should have his own towel, washcloth and soap.
- The child's underwear should be washed separately from the underwear of the parents.
- To wash the child's genitals should not be in the basin or in the bathroom, but only running water.
Hygiene of the baby's organs.
For very small water must be boiled. To wash the external genitalia should be every day before going to bed, and after every act of defecation, because if the feces get on the mucous membrane of the girl's intimate organs, the inflammatory process - vulvovagenitis may develop. For the same reason, it is necessary to pay more attention to the condition of the baby's diapers. Washing is carried out under the stream of water, from the bottom of the abdomen and to the anus, not forgetting to wash your hands before that.
There were cases of severe irritation of the mucous membranes, when my mother hurried to wash the baby, only slightly rinsed her hands after splitting the Bulgarian pepper, among which caught one burning. It is absolutely necessary to wash out with pure water without adding soda, potassium permanganate or other means of disinfection. Do not let them get on the mucous membranes.
Soap.
For genital hygiene, only special products or baby soap should be used.
When there are diaper rash or irritation, you can wash the girl with weak herbal solutions of calendula, chamomile or sage, but be careful not to over-dry the skin. The use of household, antibacterial soap and personal hygiene products for adults is completely unacceptable.
In girls under seven, the genital mucosa is quite vulnerable, so it is not recommended to constantly use soap for hygiene. Even the most high-quality baby soap leads to drying and alkalizing the covers, which can lead to the development of vulvar allergic dermatitis. It should be used only in cases of necessity (after the act of defecation), at the age of a little older - once a week with a common toilet. And it should be applied only on the large labia, avoiding entering the genital gaps.
Cream.
After the bathing procedure, it is necessary to dry the child's skin, wipe the gluteal and groin folds with a clean fresh towel and, if necessary, lubricate with baby cream. To date, in stores and pharmacies a very large selection of children's ointments and creams, however, remember the simple rule: the better the cream, the less color and aroma it contains. Do not forget about the expiry date. Not long ago, skin and skin folds of genital organs were sprinkled with talc from pranks. Today they believe that this should not be done, for this purpose it is better to use a special baby cream, peach or olive oil.
Smegma.
Quite a few mothers are concerned about the whitish plaque formed in the grooves between the large and small lips. Could this be a sign of thrush or inflammation? No, anxiety about this is in vain. This is the smegma (the secret of the sebaceous glands of the external genital organs), performing a protective function. Mixtures of smegma should be removed with a gauze swab, previously moistened with boiled oil or petroleum jelly. Do not use soap. In the older age, the selection of smegma is also retained. A teenage girl needs to be told about the possibility of formations of such plaque and whitewash, because of the shyness of asking her mother, she did not suffer from conjectures.
Underwear.
Another major rule should be the daily change of underwear. Linen for children should be chosen only from natural fibers - soft linen, cotton. Due to underwear made of synthetic materials, the risk of non-specific vulvovaginitis (inflammation of the vulva) increases. Stand out secret is not absorbed by synthetic underwear, and this complicates the processes of thermoregulation and ventilation, which can lead to the development of dysbiosis. Underwear, which has begun on the inner surface, is also not recommended, since the nap particles can rub the skin or even get into the vagina, thus causing inflammation.
It is necessary to teach the baby to personal hygiene skills from the very first days of her life, so that such daily procedures become an obligatory and natural condition for her. Thanks to this, many problems can be avoided, not only in early childhood, but also prevent a lot of diseases during the transition to adulthood.