Last Updated on May 29, 2025 by

Basic Infant Care :The practice of infant care requires delivering basic care functions while assigning attention to support newborn development for good health

These fundamental infant care options contain essential aspects for a newborn child’s proper growth. You may have anxiety even when performing everyday duties like dressing and changing diapers. Do not be concerned. Eventually, you would get the self-assurance of a seasoned parent. The most crucial details about your baby’s preferred methods of being held, talked to, and handled will be revealed to you.

Providing feeding for Your Infant

From the very first hour after delivery until the child is six months old, keep breastfeeding her. During the first week, holding your infant near will assist establish lactation.

Breastfeeding:

Infant Care : It involves providing an essential care with proper attention to ensure a newborn’s healthy growth with development. Some of the important aspects of basic infant care are as follows:

When

• Breastfeeding is established and maintained when there is rapid skin-to-skin contact after birth and no separation of the infant from the mother. Newborns have a keen sense of smell, and nearly all of them can detect the scent of their mother’s breast milk.
• Make careful to give the newborn its first dose of milk or colostrum. Each intake of baby food should be limited to a small spoon amount because of this dense nutritional content.
• Letting down and properly latching onto the breast: The mother’s breast is prepared to make milk once your baby is born. The baby starts to suck after gaining a firm hold on the areola rather than the nipple.
• As soon as the baby is born, the first feeding should take place.
• Calm mother: The mother will release the milk more quickly if she is more at ease and self-assured.
• Frequency: Your baby’s sucking will be encouraged and milk production will increase when the mother breastfeeds more frequently. The baby determines the optimal feeding schedule for herself as Basic Infant Care.

• Feeding schedules of baby varies under different situations. In general, throughout the first few weeks of life, your infant should be fed at least eight times or more every 24 hours. The acceptable time to feed your baby occurs during hunger periods or when your breasts become full and also when you simply want to hold your baby. You cannot overfeed a breastfed baby. Breastfed newborns generally feed much more often than bottle-fed babies.
• Once the milk comes in, a newborn will typically nurse eight to twelve times a day. This does not imply that the youngster does not consistently receive adequate milk. The infant determines for herself the ideal feeding schedule for Basic Infant Care

Your infant may become hungry

• grow agitated
• Swish their fingers or fist.
• create sounds that resemble muttering.
• They open their mouth and turn their head (rooting).
• Since it’s challenging to feed a crying baby, it’s ideal to attempt feeding the infant during these early feeding signals.
• During the first week, the breast produces a significant rise in milk volume. One may only produce one teaspoonful, or five milliliters, at each meal during the first few days, but by the fourth or fifth day, the volume may have increased to twenty to thirty milliliters.

Usually, the baby’s diapers give away whether or not she is getting enough milk. Although the child only wets one diaper on the first day, on the seventh day, they often wet six or more and pass at least three yellow stools.

Feeding Habits

Every infant has a unique feeding style. When placed on the breast, some would begin right away. It would take time for some. It takes patience to comprehend this conduct.

Immunization

The infant will receive shots for oral polio, hepatitis B, BCG, and vitamin K1 on the first day. The vitamin K1 vaccine is administered within an hour after birth to protect neonates from rare bleeding abnormalities that could cause major issues.

• She can block off voices, light, and other sensations that are too strong for her thanks to it.
• It also helps her decompress.
• Focus on listening attentively to the different cries which your baby produces.
• The cause becomes clear after brief observation.
• When a child cries, attempt to attend to their most urgent needs first.

Getting Your Infant to Sleep

From the first week until she is between two and four weeks old, the infant will have a distinct sleep schedule. She might choose to sleep in the daytime and remain awake at night. You are supposed to relax when your infant sleeps. Allowing light in when the infant is awake and minimizing bright light when the infant is asleep to provide a comfortable environment. Sleep will gradually decrease from the 16–18 hours that babies generally sleep. Several steps exist to help your infant achieve better sleep including: :

• Several steps exist to help your infant achieve better sleep including:
• The preparation includes both feeding your infant to satisfaction and ensuring their comfortable position before trying to put them to sleep.
• Child sleep patterns understanding combined with proper rest opportunities maintenance.
• Let the infant continue her own sleep schedule.

If fed properly, a newborn would typically urinate six to eight times per day. The mother should be conscious of the insufficiency of her milk if the infant passes less urine. When a baby does breast milk, they pass semi-solid faeces but every now and then they don’t pass anything. Of course, it’s best not to worry until the baby becomes unwilling to continue eating, vomits or shows other signs of distress.

• Immediately after you diaper your child, always remember to wash your hands with water and soap. Make sure there is enough appropriate clothes and diapers for your young ones. Every day 8–12 changes are inevitable. If you plan to clean and reuse or dispose of soiled diapers, first be sure to create a temporary storage container for dirty diapers with a lid. In the diaper area, all factors of over-hydration, occlusion, friction, and maceration are present. (Basic Infant Care)
• The best way to clean the diaper region is with water and a moist towel. The usage of cloth napkins, which should be changed often, is recommended for mothers. Distinct attention should be given to keep the area free from moisture. Distinct attention should be given to keep the area free from moisture, wing feces, the region can be cleaned with cotton balls or wet cloths soaked in lukewarm water. Barrier creams with zinc oxide and petroleum-based preparations could be utilized if diapers are being used. It is recommended to wash cloth napkins in warm water with a moderate detergent and then let them dry in the sun. Antiseptics should not be used on a regular basis.

Care of the umbilical cord

Umbilicus needs to be kept clean and dry. The cord should be left out in the open and cleaned with lukewarm water.

Take good care of your scalp.

In newborns, crusts and scalp scaling (peeling of the scalp) are frequent. Fragrance-free baby shampoos may be helpful in getting rid of scales and crusts. Only after the cord has come loose should you wash the baby’s hair and scalp. Bi-weekly, parents may have gentle hair & scalp cleanup of child.

Pre-angiography procedures involving premature babies should be performed with light touch and gentleness. Health care professionals and parents should practice good hand hygiene.

• Before you touch the infant, always make sure your nails are cut. Following stabilization, which typically occurs 48 hours after delivery for a newborn of normal weight, you can begin washing the infant.
• Giving neonates and infants a regular wash has no negative effects. Baths should be taken every day. Babies may have baths twice or three times a week in hilly areas and during the winter.
• Bathing place of child may be a warm room. Bath water should be of lukewarm temperature, not hotter than 37 degrees Celsius.
• Make sure the water temperature is right, before placing the baby in the bathtub. For babies, drip a bit of water on the scalp, neck folds and groin.
• Cleaning the diaper area last should be your priority when you follow a “front to back” procedure which is normal for unclean regions. (Basic Infant Care)
• No more than five minutes should be spent in the bath. Extended baths may overhydrate the infant’s already delicate skin and lower their resistance to harm.

Massaging your baby

A newborn’s growth and development are thought to depend entirely on touch. Massage means to touch the baby systematically. Massaging the body improves circulation and muscle tone while it enhances body part suppleness and connects each piece of the body structure.

• Application of oil results in skin barrier improvement as well as heating effects and nutritional support that leads to increased body weight. Additionally, after a massage, infants behave less stressed. Massage to the infant may be done with different oils viz. coconut or sunflower.
• Like in summer, oil massage should be applied before bathing and in winter, oil massage should be applied after bathing. (Basic Infant Care)
• Babies should be massaged when they are awake and active, ideally within an hour or two of feeding. A warm room is required for the massage. Their mother or caregiver must trim their nails and take off their watch and rings. Instead of being jerky, strokes should be firm and delicate.
• It is recommended to apply these light strokes from head to foot. The infant may not lie motionless, thus it is best to work with rather than against their motions. A whole body massage will take fifteen minutes.

Stimulating and energizing your infant

For brain growth, the key is to give the proper stimulation at the right moment. In order to bring out the best in both normal children and parents of high-risk newborns, the stimulation program will be helpful. The program’s therapist need to be the mother. Stimulating environment ensures that child has toys that are age-appropriate. (Basic Infant Care)

Show supportive behavior when your child responds to your signals. Place the infant near the mother and hold them when they seem upset.

• Bonding is also ensured by massage.
• Know the signs that your baby needs space by turning away and spend time enabling them to look into your eyes with love.
• During their first years of existence, babies crave endless amounts of positive touch, and they bloom when their parents love and pay attention to them. You may hear some say, “you are going to spoil the baby,” but this is false when you are addressing your newborn’s needs.
• Support your child when you see that they react to the signals you use.
• You should provide a stream of verbalization about whatever you are doing at that moment. You should instruct the baby by stating “One arm through followed by the other arm then over your head”. Babies eventually learn to anticipate what will happen next thanks to this.
• While you are interacting with your baby through speech, use your words to express their feelings. Both of you will benefit from developing a sensitive relationship as a result. Mention the object your child is fixed on, since you are standing right next to them.

FAQs:

Q1. How many times should I provide food to my newborn every day?

Ans. A newborn requires feeding sessions every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day regardless of being breastfed or consumed formula with 8 to 12 feedings in total within 24 hours.

Q2. What are the safety precaution measures should I take in order to keep my baby rested?

Ans. The right sleep position for babies requires placement on their back while using only a firm mattress which must be empty of all pillows and blankets along with stuffed animals.

Q3. The correct bathing frequency for my newborn involves washing them up to three times per week.

Ans. Newborns should bathe only two or three times during a week. Too many baths will lead to dryness of newborn skin. Clean the diaper area daily.

Q4. If your baby is eating enough, their weight will increase while excreting at least six to eight soft diapers over the course of one day.

Ans. A healthy baby demonstrates steady weight increase and meets deepening requirements of 6–8 times each day while showing tranquility after nursing.

Q5. The appropriate time for commencing tummy time exercises with my baby?

Ans. The moment after birth marks a suitable time to introduce brief tummy time for your baby until their strength improves.

Q6. What should my approach be toward the care of my newborn baby’s remaining umbilical cord?

Ans. Keep the stump clean and dry. During one to three weeks of birth of child, they lose umbilical cord stump.

Q7. Scientific experts advise what I should do if my baby develops a fever.

Ans. Please visit to Medical Professional, if the child is younger than 3 months and his/her temperature is more than 100.4°F.

Q8. What are the techniques for comforting a needy baby?

Ans. One way to calm your baby is through rocking, swaddling, singing, using a pacifier and observing their needs for food, rest and a diaper change.

Q9. What is the first date of appointment with Pediatric Specialist to check-up my infant?

Ans. Most of the time, the first trip to a pediatrician is made between three to five days after the child is born.

Guideline of WHO for basic infant care and its link as mentioned below: https://www.who.int/teams/maternal-newborn-child-adolescent-health-and-ageing/newborn-health/essential-newborn-care#:~:text=It%20is%20needed%20both%20in,Thermal%20care

Thanks and Regards

Note: This information is suggestive only and not a replacement for medical advice. For more details please visit to my website as mentioned below:

Lovely Health Tips – 2025

About the Author
The article has been written by the team “Lovely Health Tips-2025”, who dedicates itself to share the evidence & experienced-based health & wellness guides with solutions & helpful awareness campaigns. Learn more