Health Tip: Doing Your Baby's Laundry

(HealthDay News) -- It''s not always necessary to wash your young infant''s laundry in a detergent that''s specially formulated for babies, the Nemours Foundation advises.

Here are the foundation''s suggestions for washing your new baby''s clothing:

• Babies who have skin problems such as allergies, eczema, atopic dermatitis or other sensitive skin issues should have their clothes washed in baby detergent. In other cases, you can try regular detergent.
• Before you switch to washing baby''s clothes in regular detergent, test one article of clothing and see how baby''s skin reacts. If there is any sign of irritation, keep using the baby detergent or one that is color- and fragrance-free.
• If you use cloth diapers, they should be washed separately from other items.
• Cloth diapers are the only items that should be washed in mild baby detergents, in order to prevent diaper rash. They should be washed without fabric softeners, in very hot water and with a second rinse.

-- Diana Kohnle

Last Updated: Nov. 11, 2008

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