Importance of child hygiene: when everything goes to ...

In the previous post We were talking about hand hygiene, soaps, hydroalcoholic gel, bacteria, viruses ... and a little bit of everything. At Babygiène we have the children's hygienic environment in the spotlight, so today we will give you some tips for them.

How can I wash my baby's hands

The little ones touch many objects and toys at the end of the day. As they grow older they learn to crawl and the soil becomes their preferred medium. Further, the hands, and even the feet, always go to the mouth.

What can we do? Wash their hands. When they know how to stand on their own it is very easy because with the help of a learning tower or a bench we can reach the sink and help them. Now when they are so babies it is complicated. The best is wet their hands, smear them with soap, rub gently and then, hold them in their arms in a position that allows us to put them under a tap with warm water to rinse them off.

I'm on the street, can I use a washcloth?

It's known that a wipe does not clean, much less disinfect, in the same way that you could do hygiene with soap and water. Now for a punctual moment, we can resort to them until you get somewhere to wash them properly.

Can I use a hydroalcoholic gel with my baby?

Absolutely not. It has alcohol, I think that with that we say everything but we will delve into it.

As I mentioned in this post gels have various types of antiseptics in their composition to broaden the spectrum of action against various types of microorganisms. Some of them have the ability to penetrate deeper layers of the skin, they can be somewhat irritating, cause dermatitis or even, in some cases, develop allergies.

It is a type of product that we should not abuse. In the case of health personnel, who work day to day with it; Skin hydration is crucial, as is the use of gloves.

As you can see, if by itself baby's skin is extremely delicate, we will always try use mild soaps for child hygiene and if possible free of perfumes or fragrances.

Child hygiene: better to prevent

If a baby is in his stroller quietly, does not crawl and still does not pick up objects, why should we wash his hands? Well, in the event that prevention is late: indiscreet hands that touch your baby, people who touch or kiss their hands and face ...

Babies should not be touched. They are cuddly, they are beautiful, they are tender, but they are also defenseless beings, with a immature immune system susceptible to infection.

It is a matter of awareness. It is preferable to say "please do not touch my baby" and put up with a bad face, than to have to clean them with a simple and ineffective wipe and later end up in the emergency department with a contact infection.

You will think that these are extreme measures, that babies should be immunized and not be in a bubble. It is true, half.

Child hygiene versus immunity

Our body is under constant surveillance, prepared so that as soon as an unknown antigen is detected, the immune system recognizes it and creates antibodies to eliminate it.

When we become infected with a pathogen, our body is so smart that it even raises our body's temperature to kill it. This is called fever and it is a defense mechanism.

A healthy baby does not mean that it is fully mature; your immune system is still in the learning stage, preparing for the next months where our little one will start to put things in his mouth and crawl. Thus, the first months we help our son / daughter with the antibodies we offer them through breastfeeding and following the vaccination schedule of the medical centers.

In the same way that a baby learns to pick up an object (which is something physical and tangible that we see), it also learns to “defend” itself from the environment by learning its defenses. So that, The bubble of protection for a newborn is not the same as that of a six-month-old baby.

A virus that is not serious in an adult could be extremely dangerous for a newborn baby.

Prevent rather than cure. Do not touch. Always clean.