Frequently Asked Questions

Do not place your baby in water until the cord is off and dry and circumcision is healed. Sponge bathing is sufficient and necessary only every 2 – 3 days (except diaper area). Use mild baby soaps and detergents. Scented, non-colored lotions may be used for dry skin. Aquaphor or Vaseline are suggested for cracked skin.

Diaper rashes are common. Frequent cleaning and drying usually prevent most rashes. Usually diaper rashes are best treated with over the counter diaper care products (Aquaphor, Decitin, Johnson’s Diaper Care, A & D, etc.). Baby wipes can be irritating. Avoid their use except when away from home.

Powder is not recommended. Please contact our office if these measures fail to clear the rash.

Initially no care is necessary for the umbilical cord. Keep it dry and the diaper folded below. On separation, there will be oozing and sometimes bleeding. Some practitioners may recommend no specific care and others may recommend cleaning with rubbing alcohol.

Due to physical trauma, fatigue and emotional /hormonal changes, postpartum depression/blues are quite common. This can seriously affect mother/baby health. If this occurs, notify your OB Doc or our office.

Initially BM’s will be thick and black (meconium). These will become greenish and usually ultimately yellow. With breast feeding, BM’s are very thin (watery), seedy and yellow. Initially they are frequent (up to 6 – 10/day) but become less frequent with age (at one to two months they may go only every 3 – 7 days). This is normal unless the baby is uncomfortable or vomiting. Formula fed babies’ stools will usually be soft formed or mushy and occur several times daily to every other day. If your baby has hard stools or difficulty passing BM’s, please contact our office. Do not use stool softeners, laxatives, enemas or suppositories without speaking to our office.

Although there is no definite medical indications for performing circumcisions, many are done for religious or cultural reasons or due to parental preference. Risks of circumcision include excess bleeding, infection, pain or surgical injury. These complications are very rare. If there is a family history of bleeding disorders or if your baby did not receive the Vitamin K injection at birth, the procedure should not be performed. Advantages include easier hygiene, decreased risks of urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases, and penile and cervical cancers. No matter what your personal decision is, we will advise you in penile care.

If circumcision is not a covered benefit of your insurance, you will want to have the procedure done in our office. If the baby is premature, small or has medical issues, the circumcision is usually deferred to the office.

After circumcision there may be small amounts of blood on the diaper for the first 24 hours. Any amount larger than a quarter should be reported to our office. Redness and swelling usually resolves in 4 – 6 days. During healing a sticky yellow membrane will develop – this is normal. The circumcision should be kept dry and clean. Do not put in bath water until completely healed. Clean with mild soap, rinse with water and pat dry. Do not use baby wipes – they hurt. Cover the head of the penis with liberal amounts of vaseline at each diaper change until healed (pink, dry skin). Pain medication is usually not necessary – contact our office if pain persists more than 1 -2 hours.

Yellow color of the eyes and skin is very common (up to two-thirds of babies) and usually harmless. Physiologic (normal) jaundice usually appears in the first 2 – 3 days and disappears from day 5 to several weeks later. There are many causes of jaundice but the most common is immaturity of liver function – this is normal. Many lesser factors contribute to newborn jaundice. More serious causes are blood group incompatibilities, infection, and hereditary conditions. Prematurity, breast feeding, bruising, and maternal diabetes increase risk of jaundice.

In most cases, jaundice does not require treatment. However, because high levels of jaundice can be quite dangerous, we carefully and frequently monitor jaundice levels. Only rarely does jaundice interfere with breast feeding or require supplemental feeding. Sometimes we may advise placing the baby in indirect sunlight. Occasionally with higher levels of jaundice, phototherapy (special light therapy) is required. This often means in hospital care, but sometimes can be done at home.

Babies are even more sensitive to solar damage than older children and adults. Whenever possible avoid direct sunlight. If this is not possible, protect skin as much with light colored clothing and hat. Sun screens, on label, are only approved for above six months of age. In some special cases we do recommend their use at younger ages – please contact our office for advice. Above six months, routine sun screen use is desirable (30 – 45 SPF). Remember to reapply frequently (1 – 2 hours). Be careful – severe burns can still occur with sun screen use.

Teething usually occurs around six months but may occur from 2 – 18 months. Teething sometimes causes fussiness and ear pulling but does not cause significant fever, runny nose, cough, vomiting, or diarrhea. Drooling and chewing at 3 – 6 months of age is usually a phase and does not reflect teething in most cases. Cleaning the gums with soft cloth, soft toothbrush or finger brush with infant (non fluoride) toothpaste greatly relieves teething discomfort. Cold also relieves teething discomfort. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc.) Is sometimes necessary. Topical teething preparations are not recommended. When teeth are in, continue to brush twice daily – most importantly after last night feeding. Never put a baby down with propped or held bottle, this can cause severe dental decay (as well as contribute to ear infection).