Delicate Skin – Needs Extra Care in this Time of the Year.

‘A new life of untold joys’, that phrase would easily define the baby’s journey from bump to birth. Babies are bundles of joy so it is instructive to treat them as such. Many parents will attest to the fact that babies come into the world with ultra sensitive skin but absolutely smooth skin. A new born skin is sensitive to a host of potential irritants, especially babies between 0-6 months old as they do not have fully formed skin with all the intrinsic functions and structures like regulating itself, excreting of waste, protection from ultra rays etc.

During this period the skin is characterized by high uptake and loss of moisture, high sensitivity to allergens, slow degradation of toxins and intense skin inflammation due to high surface area of the baby’s epidermis to volume ratio (Good Parenting).

It is reaffirming to know that although the baby’s skin can be annoyingly sensitive, there are simple tips that will aid in adjusting to the demands of the baby’s skin. One factor to keep in mind is “Safety”, you should never compromise your baby’s safety for any product. Here are a few routines…

Bathing/Cleansing: Thanks to global warming, the weather is very elusive. It is important to keep the baby warm, when the weather is cold you can apply soap on a towel and then apply gently, otherwise stick to daily baths as the baby’s skin needs to be cool during the hot season. Generally, cleansing should be done using non-tears formulae (Soaps) and lukewarm water as it aids the baby’s skin lipid set up (Good Parenting). Cleanse the baby’s skin gently with chemical free wipes, lotions and jellies daily to help the baby’s skin in sealing up moisture thus regulating itself.

Diaper Change: The sensitive skin of your baby’s bottom becomes irritated from being in close contact with urine and stools, this in turn leads to diaper rash. It is advisable to frequently change your baby’s diaper, pat her bottom clean with soft baby wipes. If you are using a powder, apply gently with a soft puff and don’t sprinkle or you may gently apply the nappy cream as both protects the baby’s skin from rash by creating a barrier against wetness.

Out and About: As we gradually welcome the Yuletide season and the charades that follows. It is imperative to put our newborns into consideration whenever we are out and about basting in the euphoria of the season. The babies should be kept away from direct sunlight , It is instructive to use protective clothings, tightly woven long sleeved clothes or meet our pediatrician to recommend an appropriate sunscreen for your baby.

Please feel free to drop your special routine as well…seasons greetings.

                                                                Copyright ©Wemy Industries 1978-2015.

Those Babies just keep Coming!

I’m sure by now it is not news that Nigeria is the most populous black nation, ranked 7^th in the world and a budding economy. I recently discovered that a staggering 5.9 million babies are born every year in Nigeria (Worldometer) with the fertility rate of six births per woman. Do the maths. It means there is a new baby every 6 seconds; so you can imagine how many births will happen before you finish reading this article. What is more shocking is that only about 4.9 million babies actually make it to the age of one (UNICEF 2013), as most die after birth due to a variety of reasons, ranging from birth complications, infections and sometimes it is just downright negligence. I had a first hand experience of this issue when my wife was in labour. It was really a life changing event.

So this is my story…

It was a bright Sunday morning and I was about to go and freshen up for church. I was awake all night attending to my 38 weeks pregnant wife as she had some trouble getting out of bed.  She’s been suffering a lot recently with so many aches and pains and her little passenger is constantly kicking.  For sure, it was only a matter of time before my wife went into labour.  The doctor had already told us what to look out for should her waters break.  I was certain it wasn’t going to be today at least but little did I know that the little one had other plans.

I was washing my face when she suddenly shouted, ”They’ve broken! My waters have broken honey. ” I quickly ran to her side.  Immediately, we made our way to the hospital with our maternity kit. We’d been told that it was really important to take these items to the hospital with us.  Most notably, underlay towels and maternity pads to assist with the delivery and after delivery care.

By the time we reached the hospital her contractions were close together and she was in serious, excruciating pain.  I felt so anxious.  The nurses wheeled her to the labour room but I was overcome by a feeling of deep concern. The room didn’t seem clean and everything seemed a bit disorganised. Apparently, midwives are still using out-dated methods and materials.  They are still using newspaper and un-sterilized rubber for child deliveries.  What they should and need to be using are clean and specially prepared underlay so that any chance of infection is minimized. Notwithstanding, the nurses and doctors seem very capable to salvage the situation expertly as they have over time horned their skills to adapt and manage this situation. Also, some women are still in the habit of using toilet paper after birth instead of proper maternity pads.  All pregnant women need to prepare underlay and maternity pads, at least, as a minimum. 

Finally, a bright light shone in the room as my wife delivered our beautiful baby girl.  She came out a healthy 3.5kg.  I had never felt such immense pride and love all at once.  It was around 7pm and the world was good.  I looked at my wife and healthy daughter and could breath a sigh of relief at both of them in perfect health.

                                                                                              Copyright ©Wemy Industries 2015.