Proper washing of a newborn girl: how often to wash and what to treat with

The importance of newborn hygiene

It is necessary to organize proper care for intimate areas from the first days of life. After birth, the baby’s skin adapts to the external environment and is especially sensitive to any influences, especially contact with its own secretions. Therefore, it is very important, while still in the maternity hospital, to learn to wash the baby with warm running water immediately after emptying.

A girl's reproductive health must be taken care of immediately after birth. Long-term exposure to urine and feces can cause not only irritation of the newborn’s skin, but also inflammation of the genitourinary system, the development of synechiae, etc.

Important! A girl’s health depends on proper organization of intimate hygiene from the first days of life.

Intimate hygiene

Intimate hygiene of a newborn girl is an important process that determines her women’s health in adulthood.

In the first weeks of life, the baby’s body adapts to new, unusual conditions, reacting to this with some phenomena that may seem pathological. In fact, most of them are absolutely safe for the little lady's health. At this time, a newborn girl may have discharge from the genitals.

There is no cause for alarm if this:

bloody discharge of gray or yellowish color. The reason for this phenomenon is the cessation of the influence of the maternal hormone estrogen on the child’s body. No special measures other than keeping the genitals clean are required in this situation. After 5-6 days, the discharge will disappear on its own;
white, off-white or light brown discharge from the genitals. This is a physiological lubricant (smegma) that coats the baby's body after birth. Sometimes it accumulates in large quantities in the folds of the girl’s outer and inner labia and becomes the cause of discharge. A thick layer of smegma can become an ideal environment for pathogenic microorganisms. For this reason, the lubricant is carefully removed from the girl’s labia with a damp cotton swab. This is done every day until the original lubricant disappears completely. Usually 3-4 procedures are enough;
cheesy white discharge, the appearance of which is caused by the action of the hormones progesterone and prolactin present in breast milk. This is a temporary phenomenon that goes away around the end of the baby’s first month of breastfeeding.

An alarming symptom is the appearance of an unpleasant-smelling greenish discharge. In this case, the girl needs to be shown to a pediatric gynecologist.

If alarming symptoms appear, the girl should be shown to a doctor.

How often should a girl be washed?

One of the important aspects of caring for a baby girl is intimate hygiene, that is, the cleanliness of the genitals.

They wash the baby girl several times a day: in the morning after sleep, in the evening when bathing and after each bowel movement.

During the washing process it is necessary:

wash your hands thoroughly;
prepare warm water;
lay the girl on your arm so that her body is placed on the forearm and her head is on the elbow;
wash the girl from front to back, namely from the labia to the buttocks. Washing in the opposite direction can cause infection of the genitourinary system. Soap can dry out the mucous membrane of a girl's inner labia. Therefore, it is recommended to use it only when washing after bowel movements;
After water procedures, the child is dried with a soft towel, thoroughly drying all folds. If necessary, the skin in the folds is lubricated with oil, cream or treated with powder.

Advice! You should not rush to dress your baby immediately after washing. Short air baths in a warm room will have a beneficial effect on the skin and strengthen the immune system.

The baby is dried with a soft towel

How many times a day should I wash my newborn?

Yellow snot in a child under one year old - why mucus appears in the nose

Hygiene procedures under clean running water must be performed every time after the girl wets herself, if she is not wearing a disposable diaper. A high-quality, highly absorbent diaper protects the skin from excess moisture, so washing can only be done when changing it. However, the child should not be in one diaper for more than 2-3 hours. If the baby poops, you need to change the diaper and wash her immediately, otherwise pathogenic bacteria will enter the inside of the vagina and cause inflammation.

The baby is lying

Problems in the intimate area do not always occur due to insufficient hygiene. Some mothers, fearing infection, on the contrary, are overly zealous in caring for the baby, trying to thoroughly wash every fold of skin with soap. In this case, the soap solution gets on the vaginal mucosa, causing drying and irritation. During the process of regeneration of the resulting microcracks, the labia minora and majora begin to grow together. This is how synechiae forms - sticking together of the labia. This is also due to an insufficient amount of the hormone estrogen, which does not increase immediately, but with the girl’s age. With minor adhesions and the absence of other symptoms, synechiae go away on their own with age. In more serious cases, treatment with hormonal creams is prescribed. Very rarely, surgical dissection of fused tissue may be indicated.

It is believed that synechia does not occur during the newborn period, since the mother’s hormones are still present in the girl’s body after birth. In any case, there is no need to be overzealous with the use of cosmetics, so as not to cause irritation of the mucous membrane and its inflammation.

Important ! Using soap too often in the intimate area can lead to the development of synechiae in girls.

Thus, many doctors do not recommend using soap when washing your face more than once a day. Dr. Komarovsky advises doing this no more than 2-3 times a week.

As for washing with clean running water, the opinion is unanimous: it is advisable to do this after each urination and always after defecation.

Hygiene of a newborn girl

Caring for a newborn baby includes:

morning wash;
cleaning eyes, nose, ears;
washing during the day after defecation;
evening swimming.

It is also necessary to periodically trim the nails and remove crusts from the head - for both girls and boys. But the hygiene of a newborn girl has its own characteristics, which we will talk about below.

Morning wash

After a night's sleep, you need to wash your little beauty. This is done with a soft cloth or towel soaked in warm water. You should wipe delicate skin carefully, without pressure, paying special attention to the folds. Don't forget to wipe behind the ears, armpits, and groin folds.

If during wiping you notice irritation, then it must be treated with oil. After washing with oil or powder, all folds where diaper rash may occur are treated.

Cleaning eyes, nose, ears

The eyes can be wiped with a towel when washing or gently rinsed with a decoction of medicinal herbs (chamomile, calendula, string), moistening a cloth napkin in the decoction.

If the baby breathes freely through her nose, then it is not cleaned. If there is discharge, you need to soak a cotton swab in herbal infusion or oil, carefully insert it into the nostril and slowly turn it.

Use only sticks with a limiter so as not to accidentally hurt the baby. For the first month or two, it is better to use flagella twisted from cotton wool rather than sticks.

Ear cleaning is limited only to the area of the auricle, slightly touching the ear canal. Even if earwax is visible deep down, you should not try to clean it out. Sulfur protects your baby's ears without causing any discomfort. Ears are cleaned with cotton swabs or swabs.

Evening swimming

This is a real sacred rite that all participants enjoy. Bathing is important not only for the cleanliness of the baby. A relaxing environment, strengthening action, close communication with parents, and game elements contribute to the physical and emotional development of a newborn girl.

Until the umbilical wound heals, the baby should be bathed in boiled water. The water temperature for the first baths is about 370C. In the future, it can be reduced, especially if the parents are going to toughen up their heiress. It is useful to add herbal decoctions, but experts advise avoiding potassium permanganate.

You should use soap no more than 1-2 times a week. It is better to soap the baby with your hand, without washcloths. When bathing without soap, the body is simply rinsed with water. The head is supported above the water. If water does get into the ear, remove it with a cotton swab.

After bathing, the baby is gently dried with a soft diaper. Carefully blot the water in the folds and lubricate them with oil.

You can give your baby an air bath for about 5 minutes, and only then dress her.

The popular children's doctor Komarovsky recommends bathing newborns daily and in the evening - this allows the baby to relax before going to bed at night. But there is nothing wrong with skipping swimming once, or moving it to daytime.

How to wash a newborn girl

The girl's genitals are designed in such a way that feces can easily penetrate inside. The baby’s natural defenses have not yet been developed, and insufficient hygiene can negatively affect reproductive health in the future.

There is no need to wash the baby after urinating; just wipe the baby with a damp cloth and change the diaper. After defecation, washing is mandatory.

How to properly wash a girl:

wash the newborn girl under the tap with warm running water;
direction - from the labia to the butt, so as not to cause infection;
use special detergents for infants that do not dry out the skin; you can do without soap;
wet skin is carefully dried with a soft diaper;
treat folds with oil;
leave the baby naked for 5-10 minutes - air baths have a good effect on the skin.

When washing, the labia are washed to a shallow depth so as not to accidentally damage the mucous membranes located behind them.

Beneficial microflora of the mucous membranes protects the internal genital organs. Frequent and vigorous washing can destroy beneficial bacteria.

How to properly wash a baby up to one year old

When a baby stops burping - reasons and timing

Washing under the tap

Features of washing girls

Caring for intimate areas differs depending on the gender of the child. Even experienced mothers of boys have questions about how to properly wash a girl when her daughter is born. If for boys it is not fundamentally important which side to start the procedure on, then for babies it is very important.

The main rule for washing girls is to pour water from the tummy to the back. That is, from front to back, so that impurities and bacteria from feces do not enter the vaginal area.

Water requirements

Washing after bowel movements must be done under running water, since using water from a basin can also introduce fecal bacteria. If you don't have running hot water at home, you can use a jug. Before bathing in the bath, it is also necessary to wash the child first if he has gone a lot.

Before starting the procedure, you need to make sure that the water has a comfortable temperature of 35-37 degrees. To determine this, it is not necessary to use a thermometer; just check the temperature by placing your elbow under the stream. Mom should not rely only on her palm, since adults have reduced sensitivity in this area. The water may seem like a comfortable temperature, but for a baby it will be hot.

Some doctors recommend washing the newborn only with boiled water until the umbilical wound heals. For daily disinfection treatments, unboiled tap water is also used, provided that the navel does not get wet and is healing well.

Cosmetics for hygiene

Washing gel

Many pediatricians and pediatric dermatologists agree that in the first six months of life a newborn does not need any cosmetic products for bathing. The best helpers here are clean water and air baths. As a last resort, you can use ph-neutral soap without fragrances and dyes, approved from birth. In this case, it is better to take a liquid product, since its contents do not come into contact with the environment like regular bar soap.

It is necessary to use the hygiene product very carefully in infant girls. You should only soap the dirty bottom, without going into the genital area. Rinse strictly from front to back.

To treat the skin after washing, use baby cream or oil. It is important to remember that no cosmetics should get inside the genital slit. It only needs to be treated superficially. You can also wash with a decoction of medicinal herbs, such as chamomile, string, provided there are no allergic reactions.

In little girls, a white mass – smegma – accumulates in the folds of the labia. There is some debate about what to do about this. Some experts believe that it is necessary to carefully remove these secretions with a cotton pad soaked in water or sterile oil in order to prevent the growth of bacteria. Others categorically advise against touching anything there, since this natural lubricant protects against synechiae and inflammation. Reasonable and without fanaticism hygiene will help resolve these contradictions and ensure a healthy future for the newborn girl.

Important! A girl’s intimate hygiene arsenal should only contain a product for washing newborns; the rest will be provided by clean water and air.

Algorithm of actions on how to wash a newborn

The baby is being washed away

Below is a step-by-step diagram of how to wash a girl under the tap:

Before picking up the baby, the mother washes her hands with soap.
Then you need to adjust the water temperature by measuring it with your elbow.
Mom carefully takes the baby, placing her head on the crook of her elbow and clasping her thigh with her palm. The baby lies on his back.
There is no need to immediately expose the child to running water. With your free hand, once again control the water temperature and, making sure that everything is in order, begin washing.
At first, you need to try to prevent the stream from the tap from pouring directly onto the stomach; this may make the baby uncomfortable. It is better to take some of the water into your palm and gently rinse the dirt, moving from the pubis to the butt.
When washing, do not use any washcloths or sponges. If the feces are dried, use cotton pads soaked in water to remove dirt. If necessary, you can apply a small amount of product and lather the buttock area. Then rinse with water.
After the procedure, the child is placed on a changing table or other prepared place on a clean, soft towel. At first, it is better to use a calico diaper, changing it daily.
To dry the baby, just gently blot the perineal area with a cloth. Do not rub under any circumstances.

Wet wipes

Many mothers are interested in: how often can you use wet wipes, can they replace washing under the tap?

Most experts agree that napkins can be used, but only when absolutely necessary. For example, on the road, in a hospital, in a shopping center and other places, wet wipes are very helpful. It is strictly not recommended to use them constantly and at home.

Any wipes, even those most adapted to the skin of a newborn, contain substances that irritate the delicate skin and can also cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, after using a napkin outside the home, it is necessary to wash the baby under clean running water as soon as possible. You need to clean the girl’s groin area with a napkin in the same way as when washing: from front to back.

You should be very careful when choosing wet wipes for newborns. They should include the following characteristics:

suitable for use from the first days of life;
have no distinct odor;
be soft and pleasant to the touch;
do not contain alcohol or other aggressive components;
Cleanse with lotion or herbal extract rather than soap.

Note! Any wet wipes can cause an allergic reaction, even those labeled “hypoallergenic.”

Modern baby care products

Parental worries are greatly facilitated by modern hygiene products for a newborn. By the time mother and baby arrive from the maternity hospital, you need to prepare:

Cotton buds . Look for special sticks for babies. The special shape of the nozzle will not allow the stick to penetrate the nose too deeply.
Wet wipes. Pay attention to the composition of the impregnation. No alcohol or unnecessary flavorings! The best option is plant extracts of aloe, string, chamomile. Napkins are very convenient outside the home, but at home it is better to use warm water.
Powder. It protects delicate skin from damage. The classic powder in the form of powder, which rolls into lumps, is increasingly being replaced with liquid talc.
Baby oil. Again - no alcohol or other aggressive components. The best option is to contain medicinal herbal extracts. For ease of use, choose a bottle with a dispenser.
Cream. The composition requirements are the same - without unnecessary dyes, fragrances, and mineral oils. The cream should be made with vegetable oils (olive, almond). A tip from experienced mothers: a good baby cream has a short shelf life.
Soap. The newborn will need it 1-2 times a week. Pediatricians advise choosing liquid soap containing plant extracts, lanolin or glycerin.
Diapers. Products from well-known brands contain antibacterial and moisturizing impregnations. They are able to effectively absorb urine and liquid feces, saving delicate skin from irritation. Studies have shown that the use of diapers has led to a decrease in genitourinary tract infections in girls. But at home, it is better for a newborn baby to do without them - good old, proven gauze will save you.

When choosing products for your baby, give preference to well-known brands. They value their reputation; their products undergo the strictest certification, which is a guarantee of quality.

Caring for a girl after washing

Morning toilet of a newborn: what daily manipulations are needed

On the changing table

It is also important to know how to care for the skin of the intimate area after washing. When the baby has been washed and the perineal area has been blotted with a clean diaper, you need to treat the skin folds with a special baby diaper cream or sterile oil (vaseline, peach, apricot).

Gently apply the cream to the buttocks, inner thighs, and pubic area. It is better not to use cream in the labia majora area so that some of it does not get inside. To soften this area, it is lubricated with oil.

If there is a lot of original lubricant - smegma - between the folds of the lips, it can be carefully removed with a damp cotton pad using peach oil.

Important! It is not recommended to use powder to care for a newborn girl.

Sometimes, in the first days after birth, a girl may experience slight bleeding. If their number is small, there is no cause for concern - this is how excess maternal sex hormones are released. It is enough to maintain normal hygiene to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying.

After all the procedures, it is useful to leave the baby to lie naked for 10-15 minutes, taking air baths. This is how diaper rash is prevented and hardening occurs.

Baby in bodysuit

You should also be careful when choosing clothes for your little princess. In the first months of life, the entire wardrobe should consist of natural, breathable fabrics. This is especially true for clothing that comes into contact with the skin.

Diapers should be chosen with good absorbency and breathability. Avoid staying in diapers for a long time, give air baths more often.

You can keep your baby just in rompers or panties, especially in the summer. At the same time, make sure to change wet clothes on time. Panties or panties should not be too tight or rub the crotch with rough seams.

When the baby learns to sit up and crawl, and throughout the rest of her life, parents should teach their daughter not to sit on cold surfaces: stone, concrete, earth, cold floor. Her reproductive health depends on this.

Features of girl hygiene

Parents of a little princess need to know about some features of caring for her.

Hormonal crisis

A hormonal or genital crisis is the postpartum withdrawal of the mother’s estrogen from the baby’s body. In girls, it is accompanied by discharge from the genital tract and swelling of the breasts. The duration of the crisis is 2-3 weeks.

Discharge in newborn girls appears 3-7 days after birth. This is a grayish-white mucus that may contain bloody spots. No treatment is required, just follow the rules of hygiene.

During the same period, the mammary glands enlarge, from which colostrum is secreted. Squeezing it out is strictly prohibited. Colostrum is carefully washed off with a solution of furatsilin or a decoction of herbs.

Genital crisis is a natural physiological process. But if something causes you concern - for example, the discharge is copious, cloudy, with an unpleasant odor - then you should show your baby to the pediatrician to avoid possible complications.

Smegma

Smegma is the vernix that covers the skin of a newborn baby. It is a dense, sticky substance. In girls, its remnants may appear on the labia, sometimes in large quantities.

Don't be alarmed, it's not dangerous. But you can’t leave smegma – it’s a breeding ground for bacteria. It is carefully removed by washing with soap or rubbing with a damp soft cloth, but without pressing. No effort required. It may not be possible to remove the thick grease all at once, so it must be removed in several steps.

Basic Rules

Baby in a basin

In conclusion, we should briefly note the most important rules of hygiene for a newborn girl:

You need to wash your baby after every diaper change or bowel movement.
You must begin the procedure with clean, washed hands.
Wash the baby under warm running water.
The jet should be directed strictly from the tummy to the back.
Use soap in minimal quantities, especially in the labia area.
Wash only with your hand or with a cotton pad, no washcloths or sponges.
Wipe with a clean towel intended only for the baby’s personal hygiene.

By studying a detailed description of caring for the intimate areas of a newborn girl, parents will be able to avoid common health problems for their princess.

Signs of problems and pathologies

Massage for hypertonicity in infants at home

Sometimes it happens that inflammatory processes occur in the genital area of a newborn, then you need to consult a doctor. Symptoms when this should be done:

The discharge is unpleasant and has a strong smell. Their color changes to bright yellow or even green.
The labia minora are bright red and inflamed. The girl cries when she wets herself or poops because her skin begins to burn.

If there is slight redness, there is no need to worry - perhaps the baby was simply not washed well, and this caused inflammation. In this case, you need to arrange air baths more often, treat the redness with zinc paste, Bepanten ointment.

It is necessary to mention one more reason to visit a doctor: this is synechia, or fusion of the labia minora. This happens due to low levels of the hormone estrogen, which causes the child’s genital mucosa to become dry. It is more easily injured and prone to inflammation. In addition, insufficient or too frequent hygiene of girls under one year old leads to the formation of adhesions. Symptoms of the problem:

The folds do not separate and are inflamed;
The infant strains to urinate and cries in pain;
The fusion may be incomplete, then there remains a hole for the outflow of urine. When the adhesion is complete, it too becomes overgrown.

Synechiae is treated only by a pediatric gynecologist. You cannot separate fused tissues yourself. The doctor will assess the girl’s condition and prescribe treatment. You may only need to apply special ointments topically and take prescribed medications. In severe cases, surgery will be required.

Schematic representation of the difference between normal and synechiae

A mother should teach her daughter proper hygiene from infancy. This will help the girl develop without deviations, and in addition will protect the baby from many problems in later life.

Synechia of the labia - what is it and when is treatment required?

Synechia or adhesion of the labia is a condition in which the labia minora or majora grow together.

Most often, the pathology affects the lower segment; in very rare cases, adhesion occurs between the labia minora and labia majora.

In newborn girls, synechia practically does not occur, since the main reason for their appearance is the absence of the hormone estrogen, and in the first six months the maternal hormone is still present in the baby’s body.

Thus, fusion in girls can first be detected after 6 months, and the peak of reported cases occurs at 1-2 years. According to statistics, pathology is detected in 0.5-3% of girls, but according to some data this figure reaches 30 percent.

Previously, it was believed that synechiae was the result of insufficient or improper hygiene. But in fact, this is one of the reasons, but far from the most important. The factor that provokes fusion is estrogen deficiency in young girls.

An allergic reaction, infectious processes in the vulva and vagina, wearing underwear made of synthetic fabrics, infection with worms, and intestinal dysbiosis can also lead to the appearance of adhesions.

You can see synechiae in a girl yourself after intimate hygiene. Before the examination, the mother should wash her hands, trim her nails short, and wash the baby.

Having laid the baby on her back, you need to spread the labia majora and assess the condition of the labia minora. Normally, there should be a genital gap between them, through which the vagina is visible. Fusion is indicated by a whitish film connecting the labia minora.

You should not remove it yourself, but the child should be shown to a doctor. Synechiae can also be suspected by the direction of urine - with adhesions, it rises upward in girls, like in boys.

Should the synechiae be cut or other treatment options attempted? In most cases, fusion is asymptomatic and goes away on its own by the age of 6-7 years, at which time girls begin to produce the first sex hormones.

However, sometimes synechiae lead to inflammatory reactions and irritation, as indicated by:

Redness of the labia area;
Child's moodiness, crying, restlessness;
Straining while urinating. After urine is released, the baby calms down.

A girl with synechiae should be periodically observed by a pediatric gynecologist. The doctor determines the severity of the pathology and observes the process of fusion over time. In cases where the fusion interferes with normal urination or often leads to inflammation, the child is prescribed a course of ointments containing hormones.

Their use promotes the resorption of adhesions and prevents new ones. If the infection is severe, the problem can be eliminated by surgical intervention.

You cannot try to unstick the fused labia on your own; this can lead to very unpleasant consequences. The hygiene of girls with synechiae is no different from washing the baby without this physiological feature, you just need to act even more carefully.