CARE OF EYES, EARS, NOSE,

UMBILICUS AND GENITALIA

Care of eyes, ears and nose:
 Can be cleaned while bathing the baby
 Use warm water
 Avoid using soap as baby’s skin is sensitive and
soap can dry out
 The baby should be dried using a towel by gently
wiping. Drying under the skin folds and behind
the ears must be ensured

Steps for cleaning baby’s face:-

Eyes:

1. Take cotton balls

2. Soak one cotton ball in some warm water
3. Clean the corner of the baby’s eyes from the inner
canthus to outer canthus
4. Use a new cotton ball for each eye

Nose:

1. Wipe gently around each nostril with cotton ball

to get rid of mucus
 2. Do not anything inside the baby’s
nostrils(including cotton buds) as this may harm
the delicate nasal mucosa and cause bleeding

Ears:

1. Wipe behind the baby’s ear with a cotton ball

2. Wipe around the outside of each ear
3. Use separate cotton ball for each area
4. Do not stick anything9including cotton buds)
inside the ear to avoid damage to mucosa and
tympanic membrane

Chin:

1. Use separate cotton ball to gently wipe the baby’s

chin and neck
2. Make sure the skin folds are wiped

 Newborns often have snuffly breathing when they

are overstimulated or tired. This is because they
have very narrow nasal passages. If newborn is
sneezing a lot ,it is normal and the sneeze helps the
newborn to get rid of mucus from the nose
Care of umbilical stump:
 The umbilical stump falls off by necrosis in about 1
to 2 weeks after birth
 If stump does not fall or necrose within 2 weeks then
baby must be seen by a doctor
 A clear, sticky , brownish oozing from the stump site
is a normal part of the healing process

Steps for cleaning baby’s umbilicus:-

1. Wash hands
2. Use water to keep the umbilicus clean
3. Do not use soap, creams, antiseptics or alcohol
4. Do not bandage the umbilical stump
5. Ensure the stump dries properly after bathing
6. Expose the stump to air after gently patting with
a soft cloth to dry the stump
7. Fold nappies down, away from the stump
8. If stump gets contaminated with faeces, gently
clean with warm water or pH neutral cleanser
9. Never pull the stump off yourself, and avoid
pulling or tugging the stump

Umbilical Granuloma:

 Umbilical granuloma is a small pink or red lump

where the umbilicus should be
 The granuloma might be oozing
  The granuloma is usually harmless but mother
must be advised to have a doctor look at it

Umbilical hernia:

 A bulge or swelling of the umbilicus is called

umbilical hernia
 It is usually prominent when baby cries or strains
 It is not harmful
 An umbilical hernia will close on its own

 If there is oozing from the umbilical site a week

after the stump has fallen or if the site is hot to
touch, reddish, swollen or if the baby develops fever,
the mother must get the newborn checked.

Care of genitalia:
 Wiping of baby’s genitalia must always be done
from FRONT to BACK
 Do not use soap or deodorants

BOY

If circumcised:

 Gently wash penis and scrotum with warm water

and cotton ball
  Dry by patting with a soft towel
 Moisten penis with petroleum jelly or something
similar to prevent penis from sticking to nappy

If uncircumcised:

 Clean only the outside of the foreskin

 Inside of the foreskin must be cleaned only when
the foreskin easily pulls back. This usually occurs
only when the baby is 2 to 3 yrs old, sometimes
happens only in puberty.

 It is normal for smegma (a milky white substance) to

gather under the foreskin. Smegma is made of dead
skin cells and natural secretions.
 Clean traces of faeces by gently wiping around the
scrotum and shaft of penis using cotton
 Proceed to anus

GIRL

 Wash hands
 Wet cotton ball
 Separate the labia with fingers
 Start wiping from front and gently backwards
 Lightly pat baby’s genital area dry with a soft
towel
 Do not use soap, deodorants or douches
 The baby may have whitish discharge or reddish
discharge (pseudo menses).This is normal.