Baby bath: Why you must take extra care
May 27, 2008
IT is very important for mothers to bathe their newly-born babies immediately after birth. “Bacteria on the baby’s skin picked from the birth canal can easily multiply and cause infection through the baby’s umblical cord,†explains Dr Yusuf Kasirye of Kololo Hospital.
By Gladys Kalibbala
IT is very important for mothers to bathe their newly-born babies immediately after birth. “Bacteria on the baby’s skin picked from the birth canal can easily multiply and cause infection through the baby’s umblical cord,†explains Dr Yusuf Kasirye of Kololo Hospital.
Kasirye warns that the basin used must be clean and not used by adults. Caroline Nakalili, a midwife from the Doctor’s Clinic and Maternity Home at Seguku, says: “I bathe the babies immediately after delivery and take precaution to avoid infections.â€
The water used to bathe a baby’s other parts of the body should not be used on the face as it could be contaminated.
Nakalili adds that it is important that a child is bathed starting with the face and head while the other parts of the body are still wrapped in sheets for warmth.
She advises that the white substance in the newborn’s hair should not be rubbed off because it always goes off slowly with time.
She advises that water used for bathing should not be allowed to drop onto the umblical cord as it is a fresh opening which can easily get infected. Nakalili says an antiseptic solution should be used to clean the umblical cord about three times a day.
If antiseptic solution is not available, cotton wool dipped in warm salty water should be used to clean the area.
After the baby has been wiped and dressed in clean clothes, Kasirye says gloves used in bathing should be removed and new ones put on to be able to apply eye drops on the baby.
“This will prevent the baby from developing an eye infection called Opthalmia Neonatorum.â€
Nakalili says it is important to breastfeed the baby after a bath. The warmth from the mother creates a bond between the two.
“Even when you try to go through the bathing exercise quickly, the baby will still feel cold and breastfeeding will solve the problem,†Nakalili advises.
IT is very important for mothers to bathe their newly-born babies immediately after birth. “Bacteria on the baby’s skin picked from the birth canal can easily multiply and cause infection through the baby’s umblical cord,†explains Dr Yusuf Kasirye of Kololo Hospital.
Kasirye warns that the basin used must be clean and not used by adults. Caroline Nakalili, a midwife from the Doctor’s Clinic and Maternity Home at Seguku, says: “I bathe the babies immediately after delivery and take precaution to avoid infections.â€
The water used to bathe a baby’s other parts of the body should not be used on the face as it could be contaminated.
Nakalili adds that it is important that a child is bathed starting with the face and head while the other parts of the body are still wrapped in sheets for warmth.
She advises that the white substance in the newborn’s hair should not be rubbed off because it always goes off slowly with time.
She advises that water used for bathing should not be allowed to drop onto the umblical cord as it is a fresh opening which can easily get infected. Nakalili says an antiseptic solution should be used to clean the umblical cord about three times a day.
If antiseptic solution is not available, cotton wool dipped in warm salty water should be used to clean the area.
After the baby has been wiped and dressed in clean clothes, Kasirye says gloves used in bathing should be removed and new ones put on to be able to apply eye drops on the baby.
“This will prevent the baby from developing an eye infection called Opthalmia Neonatorum.â€
Nakalili says it is important to breastfeed the baby after a bath. The warmth from the mother creates a bond between the two.
“Even when you try to go through the bathing exercise quickly, the baby will still feel cold and breastfeeding will solve the problem,†Nakalili advises.