Every day, you are busy washing your baby. Very often, especially for new parents, we wonder about the good gestures to have for the hygiene of their baby. At the level of the face; skin, nose, eyes, ears, each part requires a particular care. Particularly, to clean the eyes of your child, specific gestures are to be adopted because this part is very sensitive.
Why should I wash my eyes regularly?
It is important to know that the eyes secrete a viscous substance, which is the result of tears, dead cells and dust. This mucus is also known as "eye poo". It is often yellow and is very common in babies. The eyes naturally get rid of the secretions during the day by blinking. During the night, however, while the eyes are resting, this mucus will harden as the body temperature drops. This leads to the formation of small crusts that sometimes cause the eyelids to stick together.
A baby fed with breast milk, from birth to six months, is generally protected by the antibodies received from his mother. After six months, the baby's body has to defend itself.
How do you clean your child's eyes?
Hygiene is the key to a healthy baby. The technique for cleaning the eyes is simple. It is essential to use a sterile cotton pad. You can also use a sterile compress. Soak it in warm water, previously boiled. The idea is to use a sterilized solution to avoid contaminating the eye. Instead of boiled water, you can use mineral water, or products specially designed for cleaning the eyes of toddlers. Apply the wet cotton wool to the eye area, without trying to get into the eye. The gesture to adopt is to go from the outside to the inner corner of the eyelid, so as to clean from the cleanest to the dirtiest. Be sure to use a different cotton ball for each eye. In case the dirt has difficulty in coming off, or your child's eyes are stuck, place the soaked cotton ball on the eye first. Leave it on for a few moments before wiping, without rubbing.
Tips that work and warnings
There are various solutions that are suitable for washing your child's eyes. For example, you can use a sterile saline solution. Physiological saline solutions adapted to eye washing are also very effective. They are available in pharmacies and drugstores. A much more natural solution, but one that has proven itself, is to use breast milk. Black tea can also be used to wash baby's eyes, taking care to boil it first. Mom's physiological fluid is an excellent antiseptic, antibacterial, anti- inflammatory and healing agent. Mothers can also use their milk to treat eye diseases.
One thing to avoid is licking your child's eyes. This method seems quick, but can have harmful consequences. Saliva contains billions of germs and can transmit viruses to your child. Your baby may get eye herpes.