Winter season is tough for new-born babies as well as mothers. As the temperature dips, germs in the air make infants easily succumb to diseases. Keeping their entire well-being in mind, mothers must give holistic care to their babies in terms of providing them with proper nutrition, hydration, skin-care and beyond. As their immunity system is still building up, mothers ought to put in an extra effort for their little ones so that they can sail through the âsick seasonâ in good health. Dr. Ruchi Golash, Consultant â Department of Pediatrics at CK Birla Hospitals CMRI, comes to the rescue of new mothers and shares her expert advice on baby-care during winter season.
Bath and Message:
âĸ Bathing is the fun time for both mother and baby! Soaps should be used sparingly, only once or twice a week. For rest of the days just put a few drops of coconut oil in the water and give them a quick bath, then dry them up with clean towels
âĸ Post bath put many layers of loose cotton clothing on the baby. Avoid single piece of synthetic clothing which is not skin-friendly for babies; as synthetic clothes often lead to allergic reactions
âĸ Donât over-wrap your child. Babies have high BMR which already makes them warm from within
âĸ Oil massages are good for baby skin. Use an oil suitable for your babyâs skin. But avoid aggressive massaging everytime, instead stick to short, gentle massage.
Prevent your baby from winter diseases:
âĸ New-born babies and even older children are often prone to fever, cough & cold and other minor ailments. To avoid respiratory diseases, donât expose them to cold polluted air. Steer clear from night time travelling
âĸ Stay away from animals and, also pets which often lead to allergy.
âĸ Use fresh and disinfected blankets, bed-sheets, pillows which should be kept under direct sunlight
âĸ Keep babies away from nicotine degradation products. Passive smoking harms respiratory tracts of little children massively. It will really help if family members stop smoking around children
Food and Nutrition:
âĸ Appropriate balance of nutrition and hydration must be maintained. Breast-feeding babies below 6 months donât need extra water. However, above 6 months, they must be given boiled cold water
âĸ Every baby must urinate at least 6-8 times a day. Anything below that means the baby is de-hydrated. In that case, increase the number of times the child is breast-fed or boost water intake
âĸ Donât feed large portion of meals to your child. Give them small quantity of meals every 2-3 hours
âĸ Give them lots of fresh juices preferably orange juice, soups, mashed fruits, pureed fruits which will keep them energetic and nourished
âĸ Above 6 months of age, babies should start with solid food like rice-paste mixed with milk, spoonful of dal (lentil), blend riced khichuri, dal ka pani (lentil water) etc.
âĸ Once the child is habituated to solid food offer them suji (semolina), sabudana (tapioca), dalia (broken wheat) etc.
âĸ Along with solid food, donât forget to give them at least 6-7 intake of cooled boiled water
Doâs and donâts of using diapers:
âĸ Diapers are indispensable for baby care now. However, parents should check the quality of diapers before buying them
âĸ Use doctorâs prescribed rash crème in case of diaper rash. Apply them 2-3 times a day on the babyâs bum
âĸ Change the diaper every 4-5 hours as soon as they get soggy
âĸ No baby should wear diaper 24×7 as that can cause a host of skin problems
âĸ Babies must wear diaper while taking an afternoon nap or during over-night sleep
âĸ Diapers let both babies and mother enjoy sound sleep. However, mothers must ensure that at least once in every few hour babies must be kept diaper-free and their skin should be able to breathe.
Suggested by– Dr. Ruchi Golash, Consultant, Department of Pediatrics at CK Birla Hospitals- CMRI
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