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Genital hygiene in a newborn girl and baby boy: general rules, differences in care, features

In the maternity hospital, the baby is cared for by experienced nurses who will tell the mother about the rules for caring for the baby. After returning home, the parents take care of the hygiene of newborns. The health of the reproductive organs and the well-being of the baby depend on proper intimate care.

General rules

In caring for the cleanliness of the external genitalia, there are recommendations for both boys and girls:

  1. Before water procedures, you need to wash your hands with soap and water. At first, parents are afraid that the child will slip out of their hands, you can carry out the procedure with the help of a second adult;
  2. Daily bathing. In the first weeks, you need to add to or and make sure that it does not get wet. After healing, you can use ordinary tap water if it is well cleaned of impurities;
  3. Mandatory washing several times a day under running water: after waking up, before going to bed, after defecation and during. You can not replace the procedure with a simple wiping with toilet paper: the remnants of feces contribute to the development of pathogenic microflora and lead to irritation;
  4. If it is not possible to wash away, urine and feces can be removed from the skin with wet wipes or cotton swabs soaked in a special cleansing liquid for newborns. The procedure should not replace the daily before bedtime;
  5. The water pressure should be weak, and the temperature should not exceed 36-37 °. In the first two weeks, it is better to use cooled boiled water;
  6. No need to use soap for every wash. It is enough to use the bathing agent once a week, because this is an additional irritant for the skin;
  7. Soap when washing should be foamed in the palms and then applied to the skin of the baby. You can not use a sponge or washcloth - they can injure the mucous membranes;
  8. You need to wipe the baby with soft blotting movements;
  9. Before putting on a diaper, you need to let the baby lie down a little naked. Air baths are prophylactic, promote. You need to start with one minute, gradually increasing the time;
  10. Additionally, powder should be applied to clean skin,. They protect the skin from irritation, prevent the occurrence of diaper rash and chafing;
  11. The diaper should fit the baby in size, it must be fastened correctly, changed after each bowel movement, but at least 1 time in 3 hours;
  12. Baby diapers and clothes should be made from natural materials to provide oxygen to the skin and not retain moisture. To wash them, you need to use soap or baby non-synthetic powders. Conventional products are poorly rinsed out of the fabric, can cause allergies, dermatitis and irritation.

In addition to the general rules of hygiene for newborns, there are differences by gender.

Features of intimate care in girls

In the first days after birth, a cream or light gray coating can be seen on the skin of the labia. This is the original lubricant - smegma, which usually disappears on its own after a couple of days. If this does not happen, it is necessary to remove it in order to avoid the reproduction of harmful microflora:

  1. Prepare warm boiled water and cotton pads;
  2. Gently blot with a damp swab and gently remove plaque. It is quite dense, does not dissolve in water, but rolls off;
  3. Several procedures may be needed, depending on the amount of smegma.

In the first week of life, there may be short-term bleeding from the vagina. This normal phenomenon passes on its own, may be accompanied by swelling of the labia and swelling of the mammary glands. Seeing a doctor requires profuse discharge with an unpleasant odor and an admixture of pus.

To wash the girl, you need to direct the jet from the pubis towards the anus. Otherwise, stool particles and microbes enter the vaginal mucosa and can cause inflammation. Girls are recommended to wash not in a basin, but under a tap or with a shower.

When wiping, you need to get wet first in the folds of the groin, then the anus. Dry skin can be treated with oil or cream once a day. When using prophylactic agents, they should not be applied to mucous membranes, since the risk of inflammation increases. As directed by a doctor, oil treatment is acceptable to remove white plaque and prevent adhesions.

Dr. Komarovsky notes that proper intimate hygiene of a newborn girl reduces the risk of synechia formation - fusion of the labia. Pathology can lead to urinary retention, inflammation and requires a visit to a doctor. To eliminate the problem, special ointments are used, in some cases, the adhesion is removed surgically.

Boy intimate hygiene rules

When washing a baby, you must first wash the ass with soft circular motions. Then the boy should be put with his back on the elbow bend and direct the jet to the bottom of the tummy so that the water flows onto the penis and scrotum. After the procedure, treat the skin folds in the genital area with cream or powder.

Intimate hygiene for a newborn boy is a little different. In addition to regular washing, you need to monitor the condition of the baby's foreskin. It contains the sebaceous glands that produce a secret - smegma. With a large accumulation, the substance becomes a favorable environment for the reproduction of pathogenic microbes, and can cause an unpleasant odor. Periodically it is necessary to remove white flakes:

  1. Slightly pull back the foreskin, but do not expose the head. The movement should be soft, you should not try to overcome resistance - this will lead to injury;
  2. With a cotton swab dipped in vegetable oil, gently remove the white flakes, leaving no villi inside. Suitable peach, olive - and cool;
  3. You can not remove smegma with your fingers, cotton swabs, try to get under the foreskin;
  4. Do not apply soap to the inside of the foreskin - it can cause irritation, disrupt the natural layer of beneficial bacteria and open access to pathogenic microbes;
  5. When dressing a boy, you can’t wrap him up - overheating negatively affects the health of the reproductive organs. If redness, swelling appears, you should definitely consult a doctor for advice.

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For the intimate hygiene of a newborn, the following items will be needed.

Bathing aid

Suitable baby soap, a special gel for washing. You need to buy products intended for babies from birth - the age limit is indicated on the package. The use of conventional germicidal soap is dangerous, because children do not have a full protective barrier. It is not recommended to use adult intimate gels and foams due to the difference in the microflora of the newborn's body.

Towel

A separate towel made of soft fabric, not very fluffy, so as not to leave fluff on the skin. It should absorb moisture well, be used only for the intimate parts of the baby's body. The towel can be replaced with a sheet or a baby diaper made of natural material.

Napkins

Wet baby wipes for intimate hygiene - hypoallergenic, odorless. They should not contain alcohol, which dries out children's skin.

diaper cream

For prevention, an ordinary baby is suitable; for the treatment of diaper rash, special drying agents are needed. With the appearance of weeping wounds, cracks, rashes, you should consult a doctor to prescribe medications.

Powder

Baby powder - has a drying effect, prevents chafing and inflammation.

Oil

Peach oil, olive oil, vaseline. First you need to boil it in a water bath. You can use pharmacy oil, which does not require heat treatment.

The baby's hygiene items should be their own, their use by other family members is unacceptable.

Before the first use, cosmetic oils and creams should be tested for the appearance of an allergic reaction: apply a little on the pen and wait a day. In the absence of signs of intolerance - rashes, redness - you can use the remedy.

Proper intimate hygiene in a newborn girl or baby boy can prevent diseases of the genitourinary system, diaper rash, irritation. In case of inflammation, discharge of an unnatural color (green, yellow), an unpleasant odor, you should consult a doctor to find out the cause and eliminate the problem.