In order to bathe newborns, it is advisable to wait until the umbilical wound is completely closed.
Before bathing, always check the water temperature with your elbow.
To wash the child, you can immerse him, holding him up so as to safely support his head, in a large plastic basin with sufficient water. Children must never be left alone in the tub, not even for a moment.
After the bath, the use of talcum powder should be avoided as it could be inhaled and cause respiratory problems and collect in the folds of the skin causing irritation.
It should be remembered that newborn babies are very sensitive to changes in temperature.
Even if you do not have a heated environment, it is still advisable to provide for the daily cleaning of the newborn or newborn. In this case it is advisable to undress and dress the little ones for single parts in order to avoid as much as possible that they catch cold.
The eyes and ears
To cleanse the eyes, gauze or cotton handkerchiefs soaked in warm water and well squeezed are useful. To reduce the risk of infections, use a different gauze or tissue for each eye and work from the inside out.
For cleaning the ears it is advisable to use a wet gauze or cotton handkerchief, but only to wash the outside. The inner part of the ear should not be touched. Do not use "cotton bud" type sticks.
Source: saluter.it Portal of the Emilia-Romagna regional health service
