Winters have already approached. Although, a majority of us wait a whole long year for this season, yet we have our own challenges to endure with. People from different walks of age groups have their own difficulties to confront. Consequently, here we are addressing some major shortcomings encountered by parents when it comes to neonatal care.
Lately, we have been swamped with queries pertaining & care to new-borns in winters. Let us browse through some major concerns to be taken into consideration this season –
Employ the habit of moisturizing your baby well
Since winters react callously to your baby’s sensitive skin, you should follow this regimen religiously. In order to maintain the delicacy and lusciousness of their skin, make generous use of the moisturizer. Moreover, count upon the lotions that are specifically concocted for the new-born. Ensure to spot milk cream and butter in its ingredients.
Cease the custom of using numerous products
Expose your new-born baby to a pool of baby care products and you rob him/her of the gentle skin. This is quite evident among Indian parents who make their infant undergo several showers to keep infection at bay. Although, they stay unaware of the fact, that this practice exhibits them to shampoos and shower gels. Consequently, this leaves the baby’s skin bereft of moisture. Therefore, one should prefer using baby soaps once a week followed by a regular warm water bath.
Nourish your baby with a habitual massage
Adhering to the recommendations passed on from generations to ingrain the habit of consistent massage within your neonatal care regimen. Irrespective of the season, a new-born should always be given a consistent oil massage. This not only helps to maintain the moisture level of the baby but also stimulates the blood flow. Subsequently, this aids in retaining the warmth of a child’s body.
Let the skin breathe – use comfy attires
Maintaining the neonate in heavy warmers from head to toe restricts their body’s mobility and makes them fussy. Furthermore, it constraints the blood flow and the child becomes cranky. Thereupon, you should wisely opt for the appropriate apparel considering the respective temperature. Assure to make your baby comfortable yet warm with the right clothes.
Breastfeed- a mandate
It is irrefutable that a mother’s milk envelopes all the essential nutrients, which are a pre-requisite for a baby’s growth. It lends an extraordinary immunity to a child to battle from the common viruses. Besides this, the gynae treatment also showcases the vitality of breastfeeding in winters. Since it maintains the warmth and relaxation of the new-born, it’s a big yes for your neonatal intensive care plan for winters.
Prioritize your sanitation
As winters invade the season schedule, we get vulnerable to diseases like coughs, sneezing etc. Moreover, you are counted upon as the initial point of contact for your baby. Therefore, a consistent assurance of maintaining your hygiene level is an inevitable step to keep your baby healthy. In a nutshell, you should adopt the effective measures like sanitizing your hands before coming into contact with your baby, is a must. Nonetheless, people around you and your baby should follow a similar procedure to have your child disinfected.
Stay devoted to Vaccination plan
Tots always make for an easy target to winters. They are more prone to sickness, as this season drops their immunity power. A regular consultation to the pediatrician and a consistent tab of the scheduled vaccination can help your baby escape these illnesses. As your baby stay exposed to the winter pertinent flu, you should resort to vaccination as a precautionary measure. The vaccination plan is as:
Age |
Vaccine |
---|---|
Birth |
1. BCG + OPV
2. HBV |
6 Weeks |
1. DPT + OPV 2. HIB Vaccine 3. IPV 4. Pneumococcal |
10 Weeks |
1. DPT + OPV 2. HIB Vaccine 3. IPV 4. Pneumococcal |
14 Weeks |
1. DPT 2. HIB Vaccine + HBV 3. IPV 4. Pneumococcal |
<6 Months |
1. Rotavirus vaccine I 2. Rotavirus vaccine II 3. Rotavirus vaccine III |
>6 Months |
1. Flu 2. Flu II |
9 Months |
Measles |
10 Months |
Typhoid vaccine |
Keep your ambience warm
Moving further, maintaining a high room temperature in winters is a real-time battle. Yet, you cannot dodge it. For your baby’s health and ease, you have to emerge victorious in this warfare. However, there are some simple measures to start with. For instance, try and keep your doors and windows shut. Although allow some air to ventilate your area so that you can breathe well. Furthermore, a room heater at constant temperature is advisable to let your baby stay warm. Remember to keep humidifier in room so that humidity can also be maintain.
Necessary infusions in your baby’s diet
Progressing further, we cannot miss out on the special winter diet for your child. You can introduce soups to his meal if he has attained the age of 6-12 months. This would even change his flavors and keep him warm. You can use lentils, vegetables, and chicken as ingredients for the soup. Do not forget to churn them into a fine puree to prevent choking. Try imbuing some garlic into it, as it serves as the best natural remedy for winters.
To recapitulate, the list for the neonatal care regime is never-ending. Therefore, the above mentioned is just a sect of the scheme suggested by the pediatrician. Furthermore, these measures are widely accepted and backed by neonatologists practicing in prominent neonatal intensive care units.
P.S. Stay hooked and implement the aforementioned methods to make your baby experience a warm winter.