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Newborn Baby Girl Care: Genitals, Umbilical Cord Stump and Cradle Cap

You should know that the genitals of your newborn baby girl will have been exposed to many hormones while she was in your uterus. These hormones may cause your baby’s vagina to be a little swollen and it may cause your newborn baby girl to have a milky, thick discharge. In addition, your newborn baby girl may have a tiny amount of bleeding during her first few days of life. All of this is normal. As the hormones start to decrease in her body all of this will go away.

You should clean your newborn baby girl thoroughly. This includes her genitals. To clean your newborn baby girl’s genitals you should carefully spread her labia and wash between the creases. You should not poke and prod and try to clean the inside of her vagina. Nature does a thorough job of cleaning it naturally.

If your newborn baby girl has bleeding or if you notice a discharge or foul odor coming from her vagina, you should know that she may have developed an infection. Take her to the doctor where she can be checked by her pediatrician.

Another area of concern for newborn babies is their umbilical cord stumps. You should make sure that your baby’s diaper does not tug on the umbilical cord stumps. Many newborn diapers are cut in such a way that they do not come in contact with the umbilical cord stump. If your baby’s diapers do not have this special allowance, simply fold down the diaper. You should never pull or tug on the stump itself. It will fall off on its own. Some pediatricians recommend that alcohol be swabbed onto the stump during diaper changes. Some doctors simply recommend using warm water. You should talk with your baby’s pediatrician to see what he or she recommends for your baby. You should take your baby to the doctor if you notice any swelling, bulging, blood or pus around the naval. You should also take your baby to the doctor if the stump has not fallen off by the third week.

Does your newborn baby girl have a scaly scalp? If so, she may have cradle cap. Cradle cap is harmless, but it can be stubborn to treat. While no one knows for sure what causes cradle cap, it is thought to be from an overproduction of oil. If your baby’s oil glands are working overtime and making too much oil, it can cause dead skin and oil to cake up on her scalp.

You can identify cradle cap because it will look like patchy scales. These scales will turn greasy and they may turn yellow, brown or red. These unsightly patches can cover your baby’s entire head. While they do not hurt your baby, they may be itchy or become irritated. Your baby’s pediatrician can give you medication to apply to your baby’s head if she has cradle cap. You can also help to loosen the scales by washing your baby’s head with warm water and gently brushing it with a soft toothbrush.

Contact your baby’s doctor at the first sign of cradle cap, especially if the cradle cap starts to spread to other regions of your child’s body or if the scales look infected or inflamed.

Caring for your newborn baby girl does not have to be stressful. Educate yourself on cleaning her genitals and umbilical cord stump. Watch out for signs of cradle cap, too. If you have any questions feel free to contact your baby’s pediatrician.