Newborn baby's private area has white substance, do I need to see a doctor? This is a question that many parents are concerned about today. Both girls and newborns can secrete a small amount of physiological vaginal discharge, a white, odorless discharge. After a while, the vaginal discharge will change color. Understanding the cause of this problem will help parents know how to take better care of their children.
1. Signs to recognize the white substance in the genital area of newborns
There are early warning signs of genital inflammation in newborn girls that help parents quickly detect the disease and treat it promptly, such as:
- Abnormal signs in the genital area will make the child fussy, itchy in the genital area and have difficulty urinating.
- The labia minora of the genital area are inflamed and stuck together, causing the urethra to be covered, when urinating, it is not in a stream but is blocked and divided into small streams, this is often a sign of urinary tract infection.
- The vulva is stuck with foreign objects and the most common case is stuck with toilet paper, which can easily cause genital inflammation. Paper is often used with bleaching chemicals, has a chemical scent that is both irritating and easily left inside the genital area and anus of the child. Therefore, when the baby poops, we should wipe it with a towel instead of using toilet paper like adults.
- The genital area is red, itchy and has a rash or prickly heat rash because parents put on diapers too tight or do not change them often enough.
2. The newborn's private area has a white substance, do I need to see a doctor?
During pregnancy, the amount of female hormones (estrogen) in the mother's blood will pass through the placenta into the baby's blood. After giving birth, the amount of this hormone decreases in the newborn because it is no longer attached to the placenta, leading to the phenomenon of the vagina secreting a white fluid similar to leukorrhea. This is a normal phenomenon, so you just need to clean the baby's private area with clean cotton and warm water, wiping from top to bottom, not wiping from the anus up because it can cause dirt from the anus to contaminate the baby's private area. Usually, this phenomenon will go away on its own after a few days. However, if this white fluid has a foul odor or lasts for a long time, the mother should also take the baby to the doctor to see if the baby has an infection.
3. How to clean the private area of a newborn girl every day
Cleaning the buttocks must always go hand in hand with changing the baby's clothes. Cleaning this area regularly is very good and helps protect the baby's skin, because feces and urine contain acids and harmful bacteria.
It is necessary to pay attention to drying the baby's skin with a wet towel by patting it gently, paying special attention to the folds in the groin. The baby's genitals also need to be carefully cared for.
For a baby girl, use a gauze pad or wet cotton cloth without soap to clean all folds (including the edges of the vagina) and in the direction from the vulva to the anus. Therefore, mothers need to take the following steps to clean the baby:
- Step 1: Mothers need to wash their hands thoroughly before bathing the baby. Prepare a basin of warm water (use a thermometer to measure the water temperature to about 35-38 degrees Celsius).
- Step 2: Use a soft, wet washcloth, wrap it around your index finger or thumb, and gently wipe along the baby's private area.
- Step 3: Use a soft, clean, wet towel, wrap it around your finger, and gently wipe along the folds, it is not necessary to separate the labia, wipe from the vagina to the anus and do not clean deep inside, and do not use soap because it will cause irritation to the baby. Perform the correct washing motion from front to back to ensure that bacteria from the anus cannot enter the baby's private area.
- Step 4: After cleaning the baby's private area, use a clean, soft towel to dry the private area before closing the diaper and putting on clothes.
4. Things to note when cleaning the private area of a newborn baby girl
Newborns are especially sensitive to all impacts from the external environment. Therefore, mothers should remember the following notes to ensure that the baby is clean without accidentally affecting the baby's health:
- Do not bathe a newborn baby before the umbilical cord falls off (the time for the umbilical cord to fall off is from 1 to 3 weeks) because of the high risk of infection. Instead, wipe the baby's body with a soft, wet towel.
- Do not douche the private area deeply for newborns when the vaginal structure is still very narrow and vulnerable.
- When choosing a bathtub for your baby, you need to pay attention to choosing a type that is designed to lie on your back and sit, the right size, and fill the tub with shallow water to half the basin so that water does not overflow into the baby's eyes, ears, or nostrils.
- Newborns from 1 to 3 months old do not necessarily need to use shower gel, because it can make the skin dry and easily irritated. Only when the baby's umbilical cord has fallen off will the baby be strong enough to bathe in a tub or basin and you can choose a shower gel that is gentle and suitable for the skin of newborns.
- If you want to use a cleaning solution for young children at this stage, you need to consult a medical expert to choose the right product.
- According to folk experience, many mothers bathe their children with leaf water to treat acne, itching, help cool the skin and make the baby sleep better. However, it is necessary to pay attention, choose and prepare the ingredients carefully to avoid impurities that can increase the risk of infection.
- Absolutely do not apply gel or any cream directly or close to the private area of a baby girl without the instructions of a medical expert.
At the same time, mothers should also remember to change diapers for their children regularly, because if left like that all day long, a large amount of bacteria in urine and feces can cause inflammation in the baby's private area. Do not use talcum powder to dry the groin, buttocks, and private areas because the talcum powder crystals are very small and easily dispersed in the air, which can lead to suffocation and many other respiratory diseases. More dangerously, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization, "the use of talcum powder on the genitals is listed as a cause of cancer". Therefore, many obstetricians recommend that mothers should not use talcum powder to clean the sensitive areas of their children, although this powder does not directly cause cancer, it causes infections in the pelvic area or cervical area, which can lead to infertility or chronic pain later on.
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