Parenting is as old as the human race itself;and every
parent feels that their tried and tested techniques are the best there is. In
the last couple of months as a new mother I have realised the vast amount of
parenting tips out in the world. Now take baby’s skin care for example,
everything from ‘let the baby lie without any clothes on, let his skin breath
free, don’t restrict him in clothes’ to the ‘swaddle your baby tightly, it
makes them feel warm and secure, like they are still in the mothers womb’
variety of advice will be lavishly offered by friends, family and well meaning
strangers alike. Every one who has ever brought up a child into adulthood is an
expert.
Do I wish to add my voice of advice to this all ready very
loud cacophony? Well, as a doctor myself, and having a paediatrician mom, I
have been privy to some pretty good tips to keep your babies skin not only
soft, but also safe.
Here are my tried and tested methods
1. 1. Moisturise,but do not keep wet: Dry skin is
prone to cracks and cuts and therefore prone to infection. It’s often said that
a babies skin is soft, but it is also prone to dryness. Many hospitals defer
bathing the baby in the first few days of birth, so as to keep the natural skin
oils intact. We also follow the oil massage pre bath routine, the oils are
natural, organic, cold pressed, and free of any artificial scents. I have
attached a picture of all the stuff I use for my kid, but feel free to exercise
your own discretion, but keep in mind ‘hypoallergic and chemical free’ at all
times. The bath soaps are equally important so that they are mild enough for a
babys skin. Post bath moisturisation to replenish the lost skin oils and
therefore protection is also important. Agai ,aim for a scent free ,
preservative free moisturiser suitable for babies. Apply the moisturiser when
the skin is slightly moist, after bath, it helps retain moisture better. Be
sure to dry the baby skin within the many tiny skin folds, remembering we need
to moisturise but not keep wet.
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| some of the products we use |
2. 2. Clothe in cotton: This seems like a no brainer. Cotton is
breathable, and keeps the baies skin dry and yet protected. These days a lot of
dye free, or organic cotton couture clothes are available for babies. Its all
very expensive as well, keeping in mind that a child outgrows these tiny yet
adorable clothes, it’s good to stick to the simple to wear, simple to remove,
no pins, ribbons on lose ends sticking out variety of cute but affordable
cotton clothes. Home made sweaters layered on top of the cotton clothes is best
for winter. No polyesters, lace which gets caught up in the little fingers, or
hooks which can potentially poke.
3. 3. No talc: Pediatricians world wide are unanimous
about their dislike for talcum powder;the stuff parents believe to help keep
the baby dry and smelling like,well, a baby. The small powder particles are
inhaled by the babies and lead to respiratory problems. Its nearly impossible
to prevent the talc from dissipating in the air. Also the powder gets caught up
in the many skin crevices and folds and hold in the moisture, whether it is
around the diaper region or around the neck, milk dribble and urine trickle get
absorbed by the powder and concentrate within the crevices causing more harm
than good.
4. 4. Diaper care:As a doctor I am often asked if I
prefer cloth diapers or disposable ones. My baby has worn disposables most of
his life,and the reason being that I would rather nurse him/play with him/let
him lie on any expensive upholstery, without worrying if he is going to soil
himself,me,and the sofa/bedding etc. He can move from lap to lap without peeing
on Nani’s sari or daddy’s pants. It’s a personal choice and if you use cloth
diapers more power to you. Disposable diapers not only give my baby the freedom
of sleeping, feeding ,playing on any surface, but also gives me more time to
spend with him rather than wash the multiple soiled linen from his
misadventures. That said, I do not let my child sit in his muck all day. Even
though most of the packs say ‘upto 12 hours of dryness’ we change 6 to 8
diapers a day, again a personal preference, but I feel it prevents any diaper
rashes or excoriations. Prior to making him wear a fresh diaper we always use a
pre diaper cream containg zinc oxide;it works by providing a skin barrier and
help heal skin irritation. When cleaning baby’s bottoms post diaper change, we
use a scent free baby wipe. Yes, you may use water, but water can paradoxically
dry out skin, while the wipes have a moisturiser.So basically; change often, use
scentfree wipes, use a nappy cream to provide care, comfort and convenience of
disposable diapers.
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| watching my baby grow as he graduates from newborn, to small, to medium diapers :) |
5. 5. No harsh chemicals, no besan : Not using harsh
chemicals is a given, and yet even the non chemical, home remedies can be
equally harmful. Use of besan for a fairer, hairless more soft skin is not just
harming the babies natural skin barriers by exfoliating the skin cells, but is
potentially dangerous as it breaks down the skins protective layer and makes it
more prone to infection not to mention the harsh rubbing can cause capillary
breaks and rashes and pain to the sensitive skin of babies.
Bringing up children in todays internet
world can be tricky, especially since there is just so much information out
there, yet every parent has only their childs best interest in mind. Making your
baby’s soft skin safe is not just about the DO’s but also about the DON’T’s.
Pampers brings you the softest ever Pampers
Premium Care Pants. Its cotton-like softness is #SoftestForBabySkin and allows it to breathe, thus keeping baby’s skin soft
and healthy, and your baby happy.
blog part of Blogadda #softestforbabyskin activity
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