The eyes have already received the Credé treatment, 1 per cent solution of silver nitrate or possibly a 15 per cent solution of argyrol for prevention of ophthalmia, and a thorough cleansing comes next.
In a warm room, away from drafts, the nurse takes the child in her lap, or on a table, with a blanket underneath. She first anoints the child all over, either with benzoated lard, liquid albolene, sterile vaseline, or olive oil. This softens the vernix caseosa that covers the child and aids its removal.
The skin is wiped carefully with cotton or a soft cloth, paying particular attention to the folds of the groin, the arm pits, and the genitals. The nostrils are gently wiped out with applicators dipped in oil.
The child must be covered as much as possible during the operation and the work finished quickly. The whole period should not exceed twenty minutes.
During the cleansing process the nurse should look closely for anomalies or anatomical imperfections, like an imperforate anus or urethra, supernumerary digits, etc.
The Bath.—Daily, until the cord comes off, the baby is sponged with oiled pledgets, followed by a spray bath, or a sponging with lukewarm water and castile soap. The child must not be put into a full bath tub on account of danger of infecting the umbilicus. The bath water in a tub or basin quickly becomes filled with bacteria from the surface of the child’s body and may be conveyed quite easily to a raw wound.
Fig. 112.—Rubber bath tub.
All discharges must be wiped away, and the buttocks cleansed with oil. If the skin becomes irritated by urine or otherwise, the child should be well covered with talcum powder, especially in the folds of the groin and in the genital crease. All infants are benefited by a little mild massage after the bath.
If other babies are handled, a child with infected eyes, or skin eruptions, must be quarantined and cared for separately by a special nurse. The color of the skin should be pink, changing under manipulation to red. If there is mucus in the mouth, it may be wiped out with an applicator, if in the throat, the child may be held up by the feet and the head drawn back for a few minutes so that gravity will aid the discharge of the obstruction.