Your child’s mouth should be cleaned at least twice a day.
If your child has no teeth, use a small face cloth or a gauze dampened with water and rolled around your index finger, to gently rub your child’s gums front to back.
Once teeth start to appear, brush your child’s teeth after each meal and at bedtime. Since young children have a tendency to swallow toothpaste instead of spitting it out, use only the size of a small grain of rice in children under 2 years old and the size of a small pea in children up to 6 years old. Use this time to also gently massage their gums with the toothbrush.
As your child matures, teach and supervise brushing of the teeth.
Apply, if required, a hydrating lip balm.
Nasal hygiene:
In all children, secretions, along with bacteria and viruses collect in the nose. Keeping your child’s nose clean helps prevent lung infections.
In infants and children who are unable to blow their noses, saline drops are often used to clean the nose.
Refer to your child’s healthcare team for the technique and the frequency of nasal care recommended for your child, including the procedure for the preparation of homemade saline solution and safe storage.
The use of saline nasal drops is especially important if your child requires nasopharyngeal suctioning.
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