skip to navigation
Pampers® Village a place to grow
  • Home
  • Pregnant
  • New Baby
  • Baby
  • Toddler
  • Pre-school

Diapering & Skin Care

Newborn Diapering and Cord Care

0   people commented
on this article
 
20
 
0
Suzanne Dixon
By Suzanne Dixon M.D., M.P.H.
Meet our authors
"There is nothing so amazing as the development of a child," says Suzanne Dixon, M.D., a behavioral and developmental pediatrician who was one of the founding members of the Pampers Parenting Network. "Every day is a new adventure when you have a child around you. I never get tired of learning from the children who have been a part of my life, professionally and personally."

Suzanne Dixon, M.D., M.P.H., was born and raised in Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota, School of Medicine. She did her pediatric training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and then completed a fellowship in Child Development at Boston's Children's Hospital. Dr. Dixon joined the faculty at the University of California, San Diego, and did patient care, teaching, and research for 20 years. She ran a large newborn service, performed research in early child development, and was involved in many community outreach activities in maternal child health. Throughout her entire professional life she has maintained an interest in cross-cultural activities, living and working in many parts of the world, including Mexico, India, Kenya, Indonesia, and several countries from the former U.S.S.R.

Dr. Dixon is the author of numerous research articles, review articles, and textbook chapters in pediatrics, child and family development, and public health. Her textbook, written with Dr. Martin Stein, Encounters With Children: Pediatric Behavior and Development, has become a classic in child health education and is in its fourth edition. She is Editor in Chief of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, an international journal of high standing in the professional world. She also has served as an associate editor for Infant Mental Health and currently reviews for several major pediatric journals.

Dr. Dixon is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and served in national positions in that organization. She is a member of the Society for Pediatric Research, the Society for Research in Child Development, the American Public Health Association, and the Executive Council of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. She serves as consultant to several national and international organizations and has received an award from Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies.

Dr. Dixon continues to lecture and consult worldwide on aspects of maternal, child, and family health. She practices behavioral and developmental pediatrics in Montana and works with local advocacy groups on education and women's health. Dr. Dixon has been married for over 30 years and has three sons. She and her husband travel frequently, are outdoor enthusiasts, and enjoy being amateur anthropologists
Read bio Hide bio Hide



You'll be changing a lot of diapers (an average of 10 a day!), so it's important to learn the drill early on. With today's modern disposables, it can be nearly impossible to tell by touch if your baby's diaper is wet, so plan on changing her after every feeding at first — as well as after every bowel movement. While her cord is attached, use the notch-cutout diapers (or fold down a regular one), and be sure to daub the stump with a wet cotton ball or swab when you change her.

Here are a few more helpful diapering tips:
  • Wipes may be used whenever you change a diaper, but they're especially handy when the diaper's messy.
  • If you wish, apply ointment or petroleum jelly — to prevent diaper rash — before you put on a clean diaper.
  • Wrap the clean diaper around your baby firmly and fasten the tabs in front.
  • If your baby's skin is red around the diaper when you change it, it's either fastened too tightly or your baby is ready for the next biggest size.


And when it comes to taking care of your baby's umbilical cord, keep these guidelines in mind:
  • Take care of your baby's umbilical cord stump until it falls off on its own (usually 10 days to three weeks after your baby's birth).
  • Daubing the stump with a clean, wet cotton ball or swab at every diaper change is usually sufficient, but you can use rubbing alcohol if your health care provider advises it.
  • Pay special attention to the area at the base of the cord, nearest to the belly button. Wipe gently but thoroughly to clean out any moist debris that may have collected there.
  • Be sure to allow air to reach the cord stump — use a notched diaper (or fold down the edge of a regular diaper) and avoid tight clothing around your baby's stomach.


FYI: If you start to experience frequent leaks, it may be time to move up to the next biggest diaper size.

Read more about diapering and cord care from Dr. Anthony J. Mancini.
ADVERTISEMENT

 
 
0
Member comments

You might also like

Gently clean even the most delicate skin.

Find out about: Pampers® Sensitive Wipes
Pampers® Sensitive Wipes