Your baby puts a lot of things in his mouth. It’s showing curiosity and an important way for him to learn. But it is also an easy way for germs and bacteria to cause illness. So you need to make sure your baby’s mouth is clean and protected.
The importance of cleaning their mouths
Babies put everything in their mouths, it’s their way of testing if they like it or not! But this means you have to make sure your baby’s mouth is always clean and free from infection.
Oral hygiene at an early age can encourage diligent teeth cleaning later in life. So start early, even though your baby might not have any teeth you can still clean the gums.
Here are our helpful tips to keep your baby’s mouth clean before and after nursing:
- Moisten a gauze or washcloth with warm-boiling water and put it on your index finger
- Place your baby in bed or lie him flat on a soft surface to make it easier for you to clean his mouth
- Begin cleaning the mouth from the outside, wiping around the lips to clear any germs
- Using your fingers, gently open his mouth and insert your index finger. Gently rub the gums, start on the top, then towards the back and move onto the bottom gums
- Don’t forget to clean his tongue, gently wipe back to front (not going too far back)
- You can finish by giving his hands a wipe as he’s bound to put them in his mouths too!
Mums, did you know…
Keeping yourself clean is important too! Even parents kissing and playing with their baby can be potential carriers for transfers of germs and bacteria. So before feeding make sure you wash your hands with antibacterial soap. For breastfeeding mothers, clean your nipple with cotton wool dipped in warm water to prevent the spread of germs before and after nursing. After feeding is essential too, the main objective will be to clear your baby’s mouth with either a warm cloth or soft baby wipes.
