Your child(ren)’s health depends on many
things. Bathing your infant regularly and keeping him/her clean is very
important.
Take special care when bathing an infant to keep
the skin from drying out. Changing diapers immediately also helps keep your
baby healthy. This prevents uncomfortable rashes and skin irritation by keeping
the skin clean and dry.
Feeding and sleeping is also important for your
baby’s health. Make sure your infant is getting enough sleep. Newborns will
sleep 18 – 20 hours per day. In addition, if they are eating properly, they
should sleep through the night after 6 - 8 weeks. "Through the night"
means a period of 5 - 6 hours. Newborns should not sleep more than 6 hours
without eating.
Even at this
early stage, your child(ren)’s teeth are forming under the skin. Never put a
baby to bed with a bottle or nurse the
child to sleep. This will increase the risks of tooth decay. For more
information on dental health and tooth decay, complete the lesson on Dental
Hygiene.
Each
time you click on a link below, a new window will open. To return to
this page, close the new window.
Activity:
Below you will find
three articles about basic infant care. You will read about diapering, bathing,
feeding and sleeping. As you read, fill in the blanks on your activity hand out
about your baby’s personal appearance.