The vulnerability of a newborns skin
creates the potential for a number of skin complaints.
Infant skin differs from adult skin and
continues to develop throughout the first year of life.
Limited information is available concerning
regimens that maintain or enhance the neonatal skin barrier. However, skin
cleansing is important to keep skin free of unwanted irritants and recent
studies suggest water alone is not sufficient in cleansing the skin.
It has become
apparent that water alone does not clean the skin of bacteria. Babies skin should be washed on alternate
days after delivery. It is important to remember that the cord area needs to be
kept clean & dry (see link for NHS cord care video). Giving the baby a bath should be avoided for
3-5 days but top and tailing or sponge bathing is important. Select mild lipid cleansers or cleansing bars
that have a neutral or mildly acidic pH (pH 5.5-7.0) or those that have been
shown to have minimal impact on the baby’s skin surface pH
Choose
cleansers with preservatives that have demonstrated safety and tolerability for
newborns. Preservatives are usually
needed to prevent the overgrowth of microorganisms that may occur with normal
use, but they may result in skin irritation or contact dermatitis. Always do
your research and understand that most neonatal skincare products are
researched to ensure safety for babies, but read the labels.
Olive oil is no longer recommended and should
NOT be used for the prevention or treatment of dry skin. There is no evidence to support this
practice. Olive oil has a high oleic acid content that is detrimental to the
integrity of the skin barrier. Oil that has high linolenic content should be
advised instead, such as Safflower Oil, Grape seed oil or Sunflower oil. These
oils are more stable, less inclined to degrade and will not clog the pores. I would recommend organic sources of these oils as less pesticides will have been used in their production. Check out Cord Care Video here.
I recommend using companys like neals yard below everything is natural and organic
