Many mothers, after the appearance of the baby, think about how to wipe the eyes of the newborn. Vision is an extremely important sensory organ in humans. And it is laid already from birth. Eye problems not only cause discomfort to the baby, but also bring a lot of trouble in the future. Therefore, you should get acquainted with a few simple rules of eye hygiene in children. And with a certain periodicity to carry out certain procedures. In fact, everything is not as difficult as it seems. And you can carry out proper care for the eyes of the newborn without any problems.
Is it necessary
The first question that interests young mothers - is it necessary to wipe the eyes of a child with anything at all? Maybe you can do without this procedure? After all, babies are bathed every day, they monitor the hygiene and atmosphere in the house!
In fact, the process of rubbing the eyes is considered mandatory. Not that you cannot do without it, but it significantly reduces the likelihood of problems. For example, suppuration. Therefore, you should think about how to wipe the eyes of a newborn. Extra security won't hurt. Moreover, the studied procedure will not require any special knowledge from newly made parents.
First time
Situations may be different. And for each case, there is a variant of the development of events. To begin with, you should consider the simplest situation - this is the usual baby eye care .
Initially, a small procedure is required in the first days of a child's life. The thing is that after the hospital it will take about a month (minimum) to prevent separate eye hygiene of the newborn in order to prevent it. No special substances are required for this.
How to wipe the eyes of a newborn? Modern doctors recommend doing this with boiled water. In no case flowing. You can replace it with drinking, but this is also far from the best option. Basic hygiene at first requires daily rubbing of the baby's eye with boiled water.
Equipment
The next question that you should know without fail is the technique of the procedure. It is suitable for any occasion. Not all parents know how to properly wipe the eyes of newborn children. In fact, everything is very simple.
During the procedures, it is required to use a well-twisted cotton pad or swab. Such that villi did not stick out. Once in the eyes, they can cause serious harm.
The cotton pad is wetted with a solution (for example, boiled water), then squeezed out a little. So that the cotton wool is not too wet, it should be wet. Next, the baby's eyes are rubbed. In the direction? It is required to carry out movements from the outer corner of the eye to the inner. You can say from the cheek to the nose. And then, if some particles were not left on the cotton pad, lower pus with movements from top to bottom or dust accumulations closer to the nose. And after that, remove them with a moistened cotton swab.
From dirt and dust
There is such a thing as "sleep" or "rest of sleep." When a person sleeps, small lumps of dirt and dust accumulate in his eyes. They are usually called the "rest of sleep." In some ways, such clusters resemble pus. But actually it is not. These lumps can accumulate in the eyes during the day, not necessarily at night. And they appear in both adults and children.
How to wipe the eyes of a newborn if these “sleep residues” are found there? It is recommended that you use boiled water to remove the lumps, or even do it with a dry cotton pad / stick / swab. The technique of movements remains the same.
Do not panic - no one is safe from the "remnants of sleep", this is quite normal. Therefore, no special means should not rub the eyes of the baby.
Welding
Parents often ask a huge number of questions regarding the hygiene of newborns. Understanding this topic is easy if you listen to doctors. Many are interested in whether it is possible to wipe the eyes of a newborn with tea leaves. This technique is recommended by experienced mothers. Especially if problems started with the eyes.
In fact, tea brewing does not do any harm to the baby. And it can be used to care for the organs of vision of the newborn. Recommended only weak welding, not strong.
You should not use this technique every day. Doctors who also propose using tea leaves for hygiene of the baby’s eyes recommend this method if you have vision problems. Or for prevention.
There are several processing options - either the parents squeeze out the tea bag well and dry the eyes of the child (it is not recommended), or weak tea is brewed, in which the swab is moistened and applied according to the already known principle.
Camomile to the rescue
How can I wipe the eyes of a newborn? It is definitely impossible to answer this question. In general, if there are no problems with the eyes, you can either not wipe them at all (from 1-2 months, as the first tears appear), or do with ordinary boiled water.
But if we are talking about suppuration or any problems, then you will have to use special decoctions and tinctures. Instead of weak tea, it can be used to treat, for example, conjunctivitis, chamomile infusion. It kills microbes very well and helps to quickly get rid of pus in the eyes.
If there is no chamomile, you can try using chamomile tea. The effectiveness of this step is lower, but in critical situations it helps. So chamomile is what you can wipe your eyes with newborns.
"Furacilin"
What else can you wipe the eyes of a newborn? "Furacilin"! Or rather, its solution. This is the most suitable tool that helps get rid of festering eyes. It disinfects and disinfects the eyes without irritating them. Perfect for both children and adults. It does not cause allergies, does not harm delicate children's eyes.
It is "Furacilin" that helps well from problems that can occur in newborns. Apply a solution of this medication should be exactly the same as boiled water. Eye treatment is recommended 2 times a day until complete recovery. As a prophylaxis, “Furacilin” is not necessary to use, only if there are any problems with the eyes. For example, redness appeared for no reason or suppuration began.
Potassium permanganate
What other tips can you hear? Doctors of the old school, on questions about how to wipe the eyes of a newborn, if they fester, answer that you can use potassium permanganate. A light solution of this substance serves as a disinfectant. Therefore, you should pay attention to it.
Indeed, earlier they even bathed babies in potassium permanganate. But progress does not stand still. And some modern doctors point out that only doctors should treat the child’s eyes in this way. They will be able to dilute a fairly safe solution. And during the procedure no harm will be done. But parents risk, with improper dissolution of potassium permanganate, to provide the child with burns. Therefore, it is possible to process the eyes with this substance on your own, but is not recommended. This is a rather outdated method.
In the hospital
And how to wipe the eyes of newborns before they come home from the hospital? Parents should not think about it. After all, doctors themselves do this procedure.
In maternity hospitals, a weak solution of potassium permanganate is still used . This has already been said. Parents during their stay in this medical institution should not think about this question. Usually, all recommendations for caring for the baby are said at discharge. And many insistently do not recommend using manganese on their own.
Milk
How can I wipe the eyes of a newborn? Some are advised to use breast milk. If mom has it, then in order to prevent infectious diseases of the eyes, you can drip a little milk into the baby’s eyes. Or use a cotton pad dampened in this fluid or swab.
Perhaps only people without a medical education advise breast milk. Doctors are unlikely to offer such an option. How to wipe the eyes of a newborn baby? There are a lot of options. But using breast milk is not recommended. It is better to use Furacilin. The effectiveness of this tool is proven. But in the case of milk, the situation is mixed. Therefore, it is not worth risking the health of the baby.