CARE OF THE BABY’S BODY
=Suggestions for demonstrations.= =1.= Demonstrate the preparation of
a two per cent solution of boric acid. =2.= Demonstrate giving the
baby a tub bath. =3.= Demonstrate giving the baby a bran bath. =4.=
Demonstrate protecting the baby from drafts.
=Preparation for the bath.= A tub bath may be given to the baby as
early as the sixth or ninth day. The morning bath should be given three
quarters of an hour before the nine o’clock feeding. The mother should
wash her hands carefully before handling the baby. The temperature of
the room in which the bath is given should not be below 72° F. If the
room is too hot—so hot that the baby perspires—there is grave danger of
his being chilled when the bath is over.
[Illustration: BATHING THE BABY]
The tub should never be put on the floor, but always on a chair or low
table. This makes it easier for the mother to give the bath and also
helps protect the baby from dust and drafts. Screens should be used
to secure complete protection from drafts. For the first four weeks
the temperature of the water should be between 98° and 100° F. As the
baby grows older the temperature should be gradually lowered. Suitable
temperatures are
100° F. at birth
98° F. at one month
95° F. at three months
90° F. at six months
85° F. at twelve months
If the baby is bluish and does not react well, it means that the water
was not the right temperature or that he was in the water too long.
Always use a bath thermometer; never guess at the temperature.
After everything is prepared for the bath and the clean clothing
warmed, undress the baby. He should be weighed once a week, at this
time.
=The bath.= He should then be wrapped in a warm blanket and held in the
lap while his eyes, ears, nose, face, and head are washed.
_The nose and the ears._ The inside of the baby’s nose should be
carefully cleaned every day with a soft, wet twist of absorbent cotton.
The external ears should be washed daily. No attempt should be made to
clean the inside of the ears except with a piece of cotton wound around
the end of the little finger.
_The eyes._ The eyes should be cleaned each morning, at first with a
two per cent solution of boric acid, and after two months with warm
sterile water. A separate piece of cotton should be used for each eye.
The lids should be washed from the nose toward the outer corner of the
eye. If the eyes show a mattery secretion and the lids are swollen, a
physician should be consulted at once. Infection of the eyes has often
resulted in blindness.
_The mouth._ The baby’s mouth should be cleaned once a day by the use
of a swab, made by twisting a bit of absorbent cotton on a wooden
toothpick, wet in a two per cent solution of boric acid. After each
feeding a teaspoonful of warm, sterile water may be given to wash the
milk down. The old method of cleansing the mouth with a piece of gauze
twisted over the finger frequently injured the delicate tissues. Except
in emergency the finger should not be put inside the baby’s mouth.
_The scalp._ For the first few weeks the baby’s scalp should be washed
at the time of the bath. If yellow scales form, rub warm olive oil or
vaseline into the scalp at night, and in the morning wash it with warm
water and pure castile soap, rinsing thoroughly. If the scales do not
come off, repeat the operation as many times as necessary. Do not use a
comb to remove the scales, as this will irritate the scalp and render
the condition worse.
_The nails._ The baby’s nails should be cleaned with a toothpick over
which has been twisted a little absorbent cotton. The nails should
be carefully cut with small scissors in order to prevent him from
scratching himself.
_The body._ It is best to wash the baby’s entire body with warm water
and soap before placing him in the tub. The bath in the tub is for
rinsing off the soap and for exercise. He should be turned over so
that his chest will rest on the mother’s forearm while his feet touch
the bottom of the tub. Teach the baby to like the bath, and he will
not be frightened. He should not stay in the water more than two or
three minutes, and when lifted out should be wrapped in a soft, warm
bath towel. He should be dried quickly by gently patting the skin with
soft towels, not by wiping. Take special care to dry all the folds
and creases; rub these with sweet oil or lanolin, or powder them
carefully. Powder, if used, should be lightly dusted on the neck,
behind the ears, under the arms and knees, in the groin, and on the
buttocks. Rub off all superfluous powder; if it gets wet and hardens,
it will irritate the skin.
_Dressing._ The baby should always be dressed while lying on his back
or on a bed or pillow. Pin the flannel band at the side with small
safety pins; then put on the shirt and be careful that the draw string
at the neck is not tied too tightly. Next put on the diaper snugly.
The gertrude is placed inside the slip and both are put on at the same
time. These two garments should be drawn on over the baby’s feet. If
the weather is cool, the baby should be wrapped in a flannel blanket.
_Bran bath._ If the baby’s skin is sensitive or if he has heat rash, a
bran bath will prove beneficial. Prepare this by putting bran into a
cheesecloth bag six inches square, and soaking this in the bath until
the water is milky. Do not use soap with the bran bath, nor with an
ordinary bath when the baby’s skin is sensitive.