Personal Hygiene Tips for Infants

A clean baby is a happy baby.

Infants can be a mystery to many new parents because they are delicate, complicated and don't come with an instruction manual. When it comes to their personal hygiene and keeping them clean, keep in mind that they do not require the same care as an adult. While an adult certainly benefits from a shower everyday, an infant does not. On the other hand, using your common sense to keep her as clean as possible will almost certainly be beneficial.

Bathing

Babies do not get frequent baths.

When a baby is first born, she should be bathed out of the water using only a wet sponge or rag. This is because her umbilical cord stump has not yet fallen off and getting it wet will prevent it from drying out, which is necessary in order to fall off. Once the umbilical stump is gone, you can place her in your regular bathtub, a special baby bathtub or even the sink and carefully soap her up the same way you would bathe yourself.

A baby should not be bathed daily because this can dry out her delicate skin. As long as she stays relatively clean, she should be given a bath every other day or a few times a week.

Diaper Changing

Change diapers immediately if soiled or wet.

A baby's diaper should be changed every few hours in order to keep her comfortable and to keep her skin protected from diaper rash. If you detect a dirty diaper, change it right away. Similarly, if you suspect that her diaper is extremely wet, change it right away. Right after feedings is a time when babies are prone to dirtying their diapers.

Wiping Spit Up

Babies are prone to spitting up, especially right after feedings. Keep a spit-up cloth handy and wipe her face immediately after drooling or spitting up to keep her clean.

Dealing with Rashes

Light red rashes on your baby's bottom are fairly common and can happen if your baby is not being changed frequently enough or has sensitive skin. Keep a tube of diaper rash cream, such as Balmex or A&D ointment, near your changing station and apply some to your baby's bottom when you change her if you notice she looks a little red.

If the redness doesn't go away within a day or two, the rash increases or it looks more serious than a light redness, take her to a doctor to have it looked at.

References

• MayoClinic: Baby Bath Basics: A Parent's Guide to newborn baths
• Babycenter: Baby Diapering & Bottom Care