Living and Loving – September 2019

will be a little moist in the first week to

10 days with yellow crusting, but only

needs special treatment if pus forms or

there is a bad smell. The cord will fall

off at about eight to 10 days, or can be

cut if just hanging by a dry thread.

11

Genitals

The genitals of both

baby boys and girls are usually

swollen at birth and can be quite

distended. This is from exposure

to the mother’s hormones

during pregnancy and while

breastfeeding, and may also

be partially due to pressure

from the birth process. The

swelling subsides within a few

weeks, so don’t be concerned.

BOYS’ GENITALS

Your little boy’s foreskin will

be firmly attached to his penis

and should not be retracted for

cleaning. The foreskin will only

loosen from between two and four

years, at which stage your little one

should be shown how to retract and

clean underneath the glans (head of

the penis) to prevent infection. It used

to be believed that forcing the foreskin

back in babies was necessary, but

this will only cause tearing and

pain in uncircumcised boys.

If you notice swelling and

redness around the glans

and urine accumulates

in a balloon under the

foreskin because it is too

tight, surgical intervention

might be necessary, but

otherwise, it’s best left alone.

GIRLS’ GENITALS

Little girls’ labia (the lips around

the vagina) need to be gently

spread when cleaning at a nappy

change, as traces of stool readily

accumulate there and could cause

infection. Initially, you might notice

a vaginal discharge of mucus and

6

Milia(baby

pimples/acne)

Miliaonyourbaby’sface(usually

overthecheeksandnose)mostly

disappearbythreemonthsand

seemstooccurduetoblocked

poresasthesweatglandsandskin

mature.It’softencalledbabasuur

inAfrikaans.Miliaresolvesonits

ownwithinamonthortwo,buttry

thesetipstospeeduphealing:

●Topreventsecondaryinfection,

don’tsqueezethepimples.

●Rinsetheareawithcooled

babyorganicrooibostea.

●Applyalightlayerof

homeopathicacnecreamdaily.

●Ifyou’rebreastfeeding,

reducingdairy,grainand

acid-formingfoods(likecoffee,

picklesandtoomuchred

meat)inyourdietoftenhelps.

7

Eyelids

Manybabieswakeupwith

theireyelidsstucktogetherand

thickmucusaccumulatinginthe

innercornersoftheeyes.Thisis

seldomcauseforconcern.For

thefirsttwotothreemonthsof

life,cleanyourbaby’seyelids

regularly,ifcrusty,bydipping

cotton-woolballsinboiled,

cooledwaterandwipingfrom

theinnercornertowardsthe

outercorneroftheeye.Useone

cotton-woolballfortheupperlid

andafreshoneforthelowerlid

ofeacheyetopreventinfection.

Fromthreemonths,usea

separatefaceclothforyour

baby’sfaceandeyes,butit’snot

necessarytopayspecialattention

totheeyesunlessthereischronic

blockageofthethetearducts.

8

Nose

There’s no need to follow a

specific cleansing routine for your

baby’s nose. Some babies are very

snuffly and have difficulty feeding or

sleeping because of dry membranes

from mouth breathing. Insert one or

two drops of saline into each nostril to

loosen any mucus you can’t see. Your

baby will probably sneeze it out soon

afterwards. Homeopathic nasal drops

and creams are effective, too. You can

also tickle your baby’s nostrils with a

tissue to induce a bout of sneezing.

If your baby has a chronic problem

with mucus or there are other

signs of ill health, like fever or pain,

apply the self-help tips elsewhere

in this guide, or see your doctor.

9

Mouth

Your baby’s mouth needs no

special cleaning, but take a regular

peak inside to see that all is well. If

there is a white, slightly raised coating

on the tongue, the insides of the

cheeks and on the gums, your baby

may have oral thrush, which will need

treatment. Homeopathic remedies,

probiotic treatment or the mineral

tissue salt kali mur are effective. If there

is no speedy relief, see your doctor

for an oral or systemic antifungal

treatment. Applying gentian violet to

the areas often helps too, but this is a

messy option. You’ll need treatment

too if you’re breastfeeding to prevent

cross-infection to your nipples.

10

Navel

A newborn’s umbilical cord

stump and the navel need to be

cleaned at each nappy change. Use

calendula lotion or surgical spirits to

disinfect the clamp, stump and all

the crevices of the navel as the stump

dries and the belly button becomes

accessible. Use cotton-wool balls

initially and cotton buds as the stump

dries out and shrivels. The navel may

have a little spotting of blood up to

six weeks, but mustn’t bleed freely. It

26 | SEPTEMBER 2019 | L&L