The birth of a child is a very important event, followed by the emergence of a number of responsibilities for young parents. Not everyone is ready for them, and even if they are ready, they certainly do not know all the subtleties. Young parents have a lot of questions: how to clean the ears and nose of a newborn, how to bathe, feed, process the navel?
Basics of the structure of the outer ear of babies
If we talk about the procedure for cleaning the ears, many doubt whether it is worth doing at all. Definitely worth it. Ears are one of those parts of the body that requires regular attention. And in order to avoid mistakes, for a start it is worth familiarizing yourself with the nuances in the structure of the organ of hearing.
The structure of children's ears is different from adults. This must be taken into account. If there is a desire to clean the baby’s ears with a cotton swab, this can not be done. The reason is that the auricle of the newborn is not yet fully formed and the location of the eardrum is much closer than that of an adult, and it is also not under the protection of the cartilage. Ignorance of such moments can endanger the child during cleaning, as one awkward movement can cause pain.
In addition, a native antiseptic is produced in the ear shell - sulfur, which accumulates inside, and only its excess appears in the outer ear. It is them that should be removed. In general, do not overdo it with cleaning and a little sulfur should be left in your ears, because it performs important functions:
- moistening the passage;
- membrane dryness protection;
- an obstruction that helps protect the inner ear from germs.
Frequent cleaning of the ears also contributes to increased sulfur production and can cause mechanical damage to delicate skin. Therefore, it is so important for young parents to know how to clean the ears of a newborn.
Do I need ear cleaning?
Having studied the material, parents can ask this reasonable question. Is it worth it to clean the ears of newborns and how to do it right? The answer is simple - a must. But this must be done carefully, observing all the rules.
The ears should be kept clean, like any other part of the body. At the same time, attention should be paid not only to the external organ of hearing, but also to the area around it.
General cleaning rules
It is written above that certain rules must be followed to preserve the health and comfort of the baby, but it is not said which ones.
So, how to clean the ears of a newborn:
- it is better to use devices specially invented for this, which will allow you to clean your ears qualitatively, without harming them;
- it is strictly forbidden to use ordinary cotton buds, it is better to use nurseries, which are equipped with a limiter that does not allow to get the eardrum;
- having bathed the baby, it is necessary to immediately remove the water that has got into the ears.
The sequence of actions during the procedure
Before starting the procedure, you must prepare in advance all the tools that you may need, such as cotton pads and sticks. Getting started, you must follow all points of the following instructions:
- turn your head to the side;
- Before proceeding with cleaning, you need to prepare the auricle, for this, wipe all the ear folds and the area around with a cotton pad soaked in water, previously boiled and cooled to room temperature;
- the same manipulations are carried out with the second ear.
The child can act up and resist, and if he does not calm down, it is better to postpone the procedures and leave the ear uncleaned than to do harm.
Why you can’t clean your baby’s ears often
Having decided for yourself whether to clean the ears of a newborn, and having come to a positive conclusion, you need to remember that you can’t overdo it and you need to do everything in due time. It is often strictly forbidden to carry out such a procedure, because sulfur, although it looks unattractive, but provides the baby with protection against pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, you can not clean your ears to the end, otherwise there is a chance of getting infections. Moreover, the more intensively cleaned, the more sulfur is produced.
What you can use to clean your ears
The main tool used to rid the child of earwax is cotton swab. However, it should be borne in mind that sticks that are used by adults will not work. It is better to use special products that are designed taking into account children's anatomy and equipped with a limiter that will prevent physical injury. It is also recommended to moisten the stick in boiled water or dip in peroxide before use.
What to do is prohibited
In order to understand how to clean the ears of a newborn, it is necessary to study the appropriate material in order to avoid possible negative consequences. And first of all, you need to study what you should not do. Therefore, you cannot:
- when cleaning, use objects that have a sharp and dirty surface, since there is a chance of damage;
- also, during the procedure, the hands should be clean and the nails cut short so as not to scratch the delicate skin of the baby;
- do not clean the ears too deep, and to determine the desired depth, use baby sticks with a limiter;
- clean your ears while the baby is sleeping; there is a chance to scare him;
- use cotton pads rolled into a tourniquet, since this way you can leave the cotton fibers inside;
- use one stick to cleanse both ears, because if there is a disease, it can be transferred to a healthy ear;
- pour water inside the ear, as you can get inflammation, it’s better to moisten a cotton swab in water.
If one of the rules was nevertheless violated and unpleasant consequences appeared, you should immediately consult a doctor. Otherwise, self-medication can cause complications.
When should the process be conducted?
Young parents who are eager to learn how to clean the ears of a newborn baby understand that it is important to know not only how to do this, but also when it is best to carry out the cleaning process. According to expert advice, the best time is the moment after bathing in the evening, when the child is as relaxed and less capricious as possible. In this case, the skin is softer after contact with water. But it is necessary to remove excess water from the ears in order to avoid the onset of inflammatory processes.
In addition, after feeding it is also possible to clean the ears, as in the baby, who makes sucking movements, sulfur is pushed to the exit, and it is quite easy to remove it.
Parotid care
Caring for the baby’s health, you need to understand that it’s not enough to know how to clean the ears of a newborn, you need to take care of the area around them. There, the skin is most prone to getting wet and may begin to shine over time, which will give the crumbs great inconvenience.
One of the most common problems is the formation of crusts. And before removing the crust, it must be moistened so that it softens, otherwise the child will be hurt.
In addition, babies are often concerned about diaper rash, which is the result of poor drying after bathing. To avoid this effect, do not wrap the baby, because the skin must breathe.
Specialist visit
Even after studying all the rules and finding out how to clean the ears of newborns, you can still encounter problems that cannot be solved on their own. In such cases, specialist assistance is needed. An otolaryngologist should be visited if:
- the ear canal is clogged with sulfur (there is no need to clean it yourself, there is a risk of pushing it further and exacerbating the situation);
- an unpleasant smell from the ears;
- discharge appeared;
- sulfur has changed in color and structure;
- a foreign object has entered your ear;
- signs of inflammation are observed.
With the advent of the baby, parents have a responsibility for another life, except for their own. And in order for this life to be happy and with a minimum number of diseases, attention should be paid to such seemingly insignificant, but still important issues: how to clean the nose and ears of a newborn, how to swaddle, and how to care. And if questions arise, do not be afraid to contact specialists who will provide support.