A New Beginning

CRADLE CAP Cradle cap is caused by a build-up of body oils and old skin cells. It can produce yellowish, scaly areas on a baby’s scalp that appear thick and crusty. Cradle cap can also appear on other areas of the body, like the face or under a baby’s arms.

Caring For Your Baby

NAIL CARE • Baby’s fingernails can be sharp and scratch even though they are tissue paper thin. • Check your baby’s nails once or twice weekly because they grow so fast. • Use a nail file or emery board for the first month to keep nails short. • After the first month, you can use baby-sized clippers or blunt-ended baby scissors. • Trim nails right after a bath or while baby is sleeping.

Cradle cap is not painful, doesn’t itch, and usually clears up within a few months. To treat it, wash the baby’s head daily with a baby-safe shampoo, gently loosening the scales with a soft baby brush or infant comb. Some parents will apply an infant-safe lotion, baby oil or refined coconut oil an hour before the shampoo to help loosen the scales. If cradle cap persists, talk to your baby’s health care provider.

Caring for a Circumcision

Caring for an Intact Penis

• Gently clean only what you can see of the penis with warm water • Never pull, manipulate, or retract the foreskin in any way

PLASTIBELL CIRCUMCISION PROCEDURE

If a plastibell was used for the procedure, you do not need to do anything special. The plastic cap will fall off by itself between 7 to 9 days. Do not pull off the cap. No ointment is needed for the tip of the penis.

A foreskin will naturally separate from the tip of the penis anytime from a few weeks to several years. Once this happens, the foreskin can be pulled back (retracted) from the tip of the penis. Most boys will be able to retract their foreskins by the time they are 5 years old, while others will not be able to do it until they are teenagers. NEVER force the foreskin to retract because it could cause pain, bleeding, or skin tearing.

OTHER CIRCUMCISION PROCEDURES If a different circumcision procedure was used, the area will look raw and sore at first. A small amount of petroleum jelly on a gauze over the tip of the penis will keep it from sticking to the diaper. Change the gauze and Vaseline each time you change the diaper. Clean the penis with warm water and mild soap. Continue doing this at home while the circumcision is healing, which can take up to 7 to 10 days. After 1 to 2 days, the penis will have less swelling and you may see a yellow covering on the tip. This is normal, new tissue growth. Do not wash off the yellow substance.

Call your baby’s health care provider if:

• The skin around the circumcision has pus, drainage, or a foul smell • Bright red bleeding • Your baby has not urinated by 24 hours after the procedure • The circumcision does not seem to be healing • Your baby doesn’t seem right • The plastibell slips down the penis or doesn’t fall off by 10 days

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Chapter 8: Caring for Your Baby