Cleanliness and hygiene for children

Children love playing in the dirt, romping around in puddles or baking delicious sand cakes in the sandbox. Parents are less pleased when their little ones are completely dirty, from top to bottom. But how dangerous is it that children are exposed to dirt and debris while playing? In the past it was always "a lot helps a lot", but is that really true? A certain degree of cleanliness has to be natural, and excessive hygiene in the environment can make people ill.

Body care and hygiene for babies

Even in hospital, your child is already receiving the first care, namely cleaning after cutting the cord. Either the children's nurse will show you how to care for your navel properly or your midwife will show you how. There are several ways to keep your navel clean, so don't be confused if you get different advice. As a rule, the navel falls off within the first seven days after birth. If anything is wrong, contact your midwife or a pediatrician immediately.

What is to be considered basically with the care.

An infant, even if one might suspect this, does not have such poor defences, as it can still enjoy the so-called nest protection (protection of the child against pathogens by maternal antibodies) during the first three months of breastfeeding. During this time your baby is still well protected against harmless colds. Of course, a few things should still be taken into account, especially in the early stages:

• only touch the baby with clean hands
• Treat skin injuries carefully
• Baby does not get near sick people
• Ventilate the apartment/house often, as bacteria collect in warm rooms.
• regularly change the baby's bed linen

Breastfeeding or bottle feeding, what hygiene should be observed?

The immune system of infants is not yet as strong as that of adults. They first have to get used to the germs, which means that the pathogen can settle in them more quickly.

If you are breast-feeding your child, you should make sure that you

• a sterile pump set and a sterile milk container. The cleaning can be done either in the dishwasher, better is boiling the appliances and containers or the use of a sterilizer
• wash your hands before pumping.

If you use bottled milk, make sure that you

• Rinse the bottle and teat hot after each meal, intended for this purpose: Bottle brushes.
• Clean the grooves in the suction cup properly.
• Cook the bottle and teat for five to ten minutes.
• put the clean things on a clean cloth and cover them with one as well.

How often should the baby bathe?

Bathing every day does not have to be necessary and would also attack the protective coat of the skin too much, therefore daily washing and bathing once or twice a week is sufficient. Regular checking of skin wrinkles can prevent wound formation.

Ears, nose, nails & little teeth - how are they cared for?

Under no circumstances should a cotton swab be used to clean the ears of babies, as this may cause the swab to break or injure the eardrum. An alternative is to clean the auricle with either a damp or an oil-soaked cotton ball, otherwise the ears will clean themselves. :)

Under no circumstances should such a stick get into the baby's nose, but there is a special nasal aspirator to free the nose. Otherwise, as with the ears, the nose cleans itself by itself, such as by sneezing.

You should not cut your baby's fingernails in the first four weeks after birth, the toenails only after a few months.

Already the first tooth of your little one must be cleaned. You can start your dental care with a damp cotton ball or a lap. Once your child has three to four teeth, you can go and buy the first baby toothbrush. Make sure that no leftovers of food remain between the teeth.

How often should an infant be changed?

Many babies often have a sore bottom, which is sometimes due to the fact that baby skin is generally very thin and delicate. This makes them susceptible to bacteria and fungi, which particularly like to settle and multiply in warm/moist regions. If possible, you can also let your baby pedal naked, because fresh air prevents wounds and has a healing effect on a sore bottom. Certain foods also cause a sore bottom, pay attention to what your child has eaten. There should be a first reaction within the first 24 to 36 hours. And of course change the diapers after every bowel movement and otherwise about every three to four hours.