Trimming Nails
Firstly, long nails can easily cause infants to scratch their own skin, especially their face and ears.
Secondly, long nails can trap dirt and grime. Infants often suck their mouths and use their hands to eat, and ingesting dirt from under their nails can lead to digestive problems and parasitic infections (such as ascariasis), affecting their health.
Thirdly, long nails are prone to splitting, causing bleeding from the fingertips. They can also easily snag on the threads of sweaters or knitwear while dressing, injuring the fingers. Therefore, it is essential to trim infants' nails frequently.
Because infants' nails are particularly thin and their skin is very delicate, and given their active nature, parents or caregivers should pay attention to the following four points when trimming their nails:
Choose high-quality nail clippers with sharp, thin blades. Do not use regular scissors to avoid cutting the infant's fingertips.
Depending on the growth rate of an infant's nails, trimming them once a week is generally sufficient. If split nails are observed, trim them immediately. Toenails are easier to trim when they are hard and thick, or when they soften naturally after washing the feet.
Infants and toddlers tend to move their hands and feet around a lot when awake, so trimming their nails after they are asleep is much safer. For older children, you can trim their nails while telling them stories.
When trimming an infant's nails, be gentle and quick, and don't cut too much or too hard at once to avoid causing pain. Trim them smoothly, avoiding sharp edges. After trimming, parents should run their hands over the cut nail to check if it is smooth. If not, use the small file on the nail clippers to smooth it.
Bathing: A baby's skin is often contaminated with sebum, sweat, dead skin cells, and dust from the air, and it also harbors a large number of bacteria. Newborns' skin has an underdeveloped defense mechanism and is rich in blood vessels, making it susceptible to damage from even minor external forces. Improper care can lead to skin erosion, folds, or secondary bacterial infections, and in severe cases, even sepsis. Therefore, newborn skin care is extremely important. Bathing cleanses and maintains the health of the skin; warm water baths dissolve sebum, relax the skin, dilate capillaries, and promote the excretion of metabolic waste. Therefore, newborns should be bathed frequently.
Healthy babies can be wiped and bathed daily starting 24 hours after birth. The frequency can be adjusted according to the actual situation, with more frequent baths in summer. For babies who are underweight (generally below 2 kg), in poor health, in cold climates, or who cannot be bathed daily, at least wiping and cleaning is necessary.
Use bath products containing plant-based ingredients such as calendula and chamomile. Additionally, use a soft towel to dry the baby thoroughly, avoiding vigorous rubbing to prevent damage to the baby's delicate skin.
Before bathing, adjust the water and room temperature. Remove the newborn's clothes and gently place them in the bathtub in a supine position. The bather should use their left hand to support the newborn's head behind the pillow, lifting it out of the water. Use the thumb and middle finger to gently press forward on the right and left tragus to cover the ear canals, preventing water from entering the ears. Then, use a soft towel to wash the baby's hair with the right hand, and dry it thoroughly with a towel afterward. Next, wash the head, neck, armpits, palms, creases of the neck, and chest in sequence. Then wash the abdomen; finally, wash the groin, thighs, armpit creases, and feet. After washing, support the newborn's chest with your left forearm and hold their right armpit with your palm to stabilize them in a forward-leaning position. Then wash the back, buttocks, and gluteal folds. After washing, turn the newborn to a supine position, support their head and neck with your left hand, and lift them out of the water by their ankles with your right hand. Place them on a pre-prepared, dry, large towel/blanket, wrap them up, and gently pat them dry. Apply baby powder or pine pollen to the skin folds to keep them dry. If the umbilical stump has not fallen off, clean it with a cotton swab soaked in 75% ethanol (alcohol) to prevent infection. Use a dry cotton swab to gently clean the inner sides of the ear canals and tragus. After finishing all this, quickly dress the newborn; they will soon fall asleep comfortably.
Baby Spitting Up
First, new mothers need to distinguish between spitting up and vomiting. Spitting up usually refers to milk spilling from the corner of the baby's mouth. Vomiting refers to milk being expelled from the baby's mouth with a projectile motion. The difference lies only in the manner and action; both are common occurrences.
Overly frequent feeding can also cause spitting up. Therefore, feeding should be done at regular times and in measured amounts. If the amount fed is too much or the feeding time is too short, the stomach may become over-distensioned, making it easier for the baby to vomit.
Breast milk that is too cold or unsanitary can also cause spitting up.
Hair Washing Issues
A 4-month-old baby is growing and developing rapidly, and their metabolism is also quite vigorous. Due to seborrheic dermatitis, the baby may have some yellowish-brown oily scales on their scalp. If these are not washed off promptly, they can easily form crusts. Babies sweat a lot, so their hair needs to be washed frequently to keep it clean and hygienic, ensuring healthy hair growth.
Baby hair can be washed before each bath. The frequency of washing can be adjusted according to the season. When the weather is hot, babies sweat a lot and can be bathed 1-2 times a day, washing their hair before each bath. When washing their hair, if there are crusts on their scalp, you can apply a small amount of cooked vegetable oil. The cooked vegetable oil can soften the crusts, making them easy to wash off with water.
When washing your baby's hair, avoid using soap. Use a baby-specific shampoo, as babies have many nerves in their scalp and their skin is thin and delicate. A special shampoo will effectively clean the hair and minimize harm. After washing, gently pat the hair dry with a towel. Remember not to rub vigorously. You can also use cotton swabs to gently absorb any water that may have gotten into their ears. In short, when washing your baby's hair, ensure it is clean and healthy.
Dietary Issues: Children often start consuming high-calorie fruit juices and foods high in fat and salt, such as potato chips and cola. However, we found that children who drink plain water during meals are more likely to choose healthy foods; it's natural that these children eat more vegetables. He also pointed out, "A person's taste preferences are deeply influenced by the foods they liked to eat when they were young. In order to have a healthy body when they grow up, we should cultivate healthy eating habits in children from an early age."