Why do newborns always wrap themselves tightly? What are the considerations behind this? Let's learn about the care methods for newborns together with the editor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medicinal Plants Network!
Why can't newborns be exposed to wind
Because adults believe that children are prone to illness, the most feared thing when taking children out is getting sick or catching a cold. Children have weak constitutions and should not be exposed to cold wind, which is why the older generation is reluctant to take children out.
When taking children out, they often insist on wrapping them up thickly to prevent them from getting sick or catching a cold.
In fact, it is beneficial to enhance their constitution to expose them to some wind when taking them out.
After the baby is one month old, some parents have already taken their babies out, but they take protective measures, such as avoiding strong sunlight and cold wind.
However, it does not mean that children can't go out. Sometimes, when a baby is born, they may have jaundice. In this case, the doctor will advise the parents to let the baby bask in the sun more, which is beneficial for the treatment of jaundice.
Common diseases in newborns
(1) Newborns with pneumonia do not show obvious coughing and breathing difficulties like infants. Especially premature infants rarely cough. In addition to shortness of breath, listlessness, less crying, and refusal to eat, they may also have white foamy mouth, bluish lips, moaning, and nodding breathing.
Infants under two months of age may show obvious inward retractions of the lower end of the chest wall during inhalation. This is called chest retraction. It is due to the fact that when the child has pneumonia, they need to exert more effort to inhale to complete gas exchange.
(2) Thrush is caused by a fungus and is often caused by nipple, finger, and skin infections, especially contaminated pacifiers.
(3) If you see some scaly, itchy red patches on your baby's skin, it is likely that they have eczema.
(4) The most common cause of coughing in infants is stimulation from cold air. Fever is also a common newborn disease.
How to care for newborns
1. Feeding
Newborns have poor digestive function, so breast milk is their most ideal "food". Generally, breastfeeding is recommended.
2. Bathing
When bathing newborns, the room temperature should ideally be maintained at 26°C to 28°C, and the water temperature is also important, around 38-39 degrees Celsius in summer and 40-41 degrees Celsius in winter.
3. Preventing infection
Newborns have weak immune systems and are prone to infections, so you should try to reduce the number of visits by relatives and friends.
When caring for newborns, hygiene is important. Before each care, make sure to wash your hands with soap, as this is crucial for preventing newborn infections.
4. Stool observation
Most babies start passing meconium within 12 hours after birth. The color is dark green and sticky, odorless, and it takes about 3-4 days to pass all the meconium.
For newborns, the quantity of bowel movements is generally irregular. The key to determining whether it is normal is to look at the color and consistency.
Generally, breastfed babies have yellow or golden yellow, pasty stools; formula-fed babies have light yellow or grayish-brown, pasty and slightly dry stools; mixed-fed babies have slightly dark brown, pasty stools.
