Don’t panic if you’re new to parenting! Here’s a comprehensive guide to baby care to help you say goodbye to the hassle

When a baby in the cradle holds your finger for the first time, the tenderness and dependence make countless new parents happy but also nervous - how to use scientific care to give this "seedling" a healthy future?

The world of babies may seem simple, but it contains countless details that need to be carefully taken care of. If you want to take good care of their "food, clothing, housing and transportation", you can refer to this guide provided by the Neonatology Department of Hunan Guangxiu Hospital .

"Living": Skin and sleep care

1. Skin care

① Wash your baby’s face, hands and feet with warm water every day, especially the skin folds such as the neck, armpits, and groin. Wipe gently to prevent dirt accumulation.

② After bathing, you can use massage oil or lotion for massage. If the baby's skin is not properly moisturized, it may become dry, peeling, or even slightly chapped.

③Change diapers frequently, and apply diaper cream after each diaper change. If red buttocks and diaper rash occur, apply tannic acid ointment or take medicine under the guidance of a doctor; you can also expose the buttocks skin appropriately to dry the buttocks skin, reduce friction with the diaper, and promote skin healing.

2. Sleep care

Newborns sleep 16-20 hours a day, but divided into multiple short periods. To create a quiet and comfortable sleeping environment for them, you can appropriately reduce the sleeping time during the day and keep the room dark at night, so that the baby can gradually distinguish between day and night and develop regular habits.

The Neonatal Department of Hunan Guangxiu Hospital reminds parents to let their babies sleep on their backs (with their heads tilted to one side) as much as possible and avoid sleeping on their stomachs to prevent the risk of suffocation.

Action: Infection prevention and physical examination

1. Prevent infection:

① After returning from outside, parents should clean their hands thoroughly with running water and hand sanitizer, and change their outer clothes as much as possible before contacting their children.

② Avoid taking newborns to crowded and poorly ventilated places to reduce the risk of infection.

③All supplies for newborns should be used separately and avoid sharing with other family members.

④ Closely observe the newborn's mental state, body temperature, respiratory rate and eating habits. The Neonatal Department of Guangxiu Hospital reminds that if the baby shows abnormal signs such as drowsiness, decreased appetite, spitting up, rapid breathing, coughing or fever, he should go to the hospital for examination immediately.

2. Newborn physical examination:

There will be many health checkups in the first month after the baby is born, which should not be ignored.

Physical examination checklist:

① Within one week after birth: neonatal congenital heart disease screening, neonatal hearing impairment screening, neonatal blinding eye disease screening, neonatal genetic metabolic disease screening, jaundice monitoring, etc.

②1-month physical examination: measure height, weight, head circumference, etc., and assess development.

③ Pay attention to vaccination: such as hepatitis B vaccine, BCG vaccine, etc. (Normal newborns should be vaccinated within 24 hours after birth. If the baby is hospitalized due to illness after birth, vaccination should be postponed and follow the doctor's advice.)

May every new life be safe and sound

May every family smile

If parents encounter difficulties

Don't be overly anxious or nervous

Welcome to consult Guangxiu Hospital Neonatology Department

We will escort you on your journey of raising a child!

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Qing Ting, Department of Neonatology, Hunan Guangxiu Hospital

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(Edited by Wx)