Oral Care for Newborns

Newborns don’t have teeth, but their oral care routine must be as immaculate as that of the grownups. Taking care of the newborns’ gums is extremely important for avoiding tooth decay in the coming years. The oral care regimen for newborns must include the following steps:
Cleaning: Soak a soft and clean washcloth into water and clean the baby’s gum with it by wiping it across the gums. This should be repeated every time you breastfeed your baby or feed him with a baby formula. This cleaning procedure also helps in promoting circulation in the baby’s gums. The gums of a baby can also be cleaned using a soft bristled toothbrush and water.

Nutrition: The tooth and gum health of a baby is significantly influenced by nutrition provided to the baby. Newborns must only be fed either with a formula or breast milk; both these options contain the calories, nutrients and fluids required by a baby. Medical experts suggest avoiding giving water to your baby until he completes one year. During the initial 1 year of a baby’s life, you should also not give him items like honey, sugary drinks and fruit juice etc. Also, never use fluoride containing oral care products until the baby completes 6 months.
Keep a close eye on teeth formation: Babies are not born with teeth; however, each of the twenty primary teeth stays dormant within their jawbones at the time of their birth. Usually, when a baby completes 6 months of age, tooth formation starts. During this phase, you must take care of the teething gums of the baby meticulously. Proper oral care of a teething baby ensures that the teeth formation occurs in a healthy manner, which is known to affect speaking and eating abilities of the baby positively; it might also influence the baby’s appearance.

Using Almond Oil on a Babies Skin

Massaging the baby’s skin using almond oil is common in most of the Indian households and many other parts of Asia. Almond oil possesses a light and sweet fragrance and is a great source of vitamins, E, A, B6, B2 and B1.  This oil also contains polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. In this article we’ll be explaining the process of using almond oil on a baby’s skin.

• Take 3 to 4 drops of almond oil and massage it onto the scalp of your baby using gentle and circular strokes. While massaging the scalp, you must only use your finger tips. This scalp massage to loosen up the cradle cap i.e. the scaly rashes having similar features like dandruffs.
• Spread a clean towel over your lap; if the towel is two big, you can fold it according to the size of your baby. Make the baby lie or sit on it.
• If the baby is more than 6 months old, after the scalp massage is done, take 2 to3 drops of the oil on your finger tips and comb across his hair. Massaging almond oil on the scalp and hair is known to promote thick and healthy hair.
• Next take 5 to 10 drops of almond oil on your palm and rub both your palms across each other until they get warm. Once, you palms get warm, massage the skin of your baby using those oil laden warm palms. The massage should start from the baby’s arms; you must use gentle strokes starting from his shoulders moving down towards his chest, belly and legs. Finally turn the baby and massage the skin of his back. Massaging the body of the baby using almond oil will stimulate the bodily functions like elimination, digestion, circulation and respiration. It also relaxes the infant’s body and ensures that he gets a sound sleep. Massaging the baby is also known for relieving colic and gas.

Toys You Should Not Buy for a Baby

Are you going to buy some toys for your baby? Then, you must know about the kinds of toys that you should never buy for a baby. Below we have mentioned the 5 toy varieties that are big no no for babies.
Toys having small parts:
As majority of the babies have a tendency of putting things in mouth, toys having small parts might crease choking hazards. According to medical experts, one should not allow his or her baby to play with toys having parts smaller than 1.25 inches.
Toys that are non-washable:
Every toy must be a washable one. Most medical expert will suggest you to go for only the washable toys while buy toys for your little one. The babies love to taste everything they get in their hands; they will also try to taste their toys. If the toys they are playing with are non-washable, you will not be able to remove the dirt from them as a result of which the baby will end up swallowing the dust particles. Buying washable toys will ensure that you will be able to clean it whenever required and thus successfully prevent the little one from becoming sick.
Balloons:
Balloons are widely used in all the festive events and parties. However, you must make sure that your baby is not using balloons as a play thing. The frequency of choking incidents related to balloon is higher compared to any other playing item.
Electric toys:
Today, the market is filled with toys that run on batteries or other electrical items, which might get heated. According to experts, electrical toys that include heating elements must not be used by infants up to 8 years of age. Using such toys will leave the infants at risk of getting accidental burns.
Painted toys:
The metal lead is extremely toxic in nature and gets absorbed easily through skin contact, breathing and ingestion. If you buy toys manufactured outside North America, they are likely to have lead in their paint.