Why is "underwear" necessary for the baby?

2017.6.14

Why do I need "underwear" for my baby? Well, it is needed to protect the baby from different kinds of stimulation and irritation. Until the baby is born, it is growing while being protected by amniotic fluid in the mother's body.

But as soon as it is born naked, the baby comes into contact with external air, and it has to cope with a lot of stimuli at once. The role of the underwear is to gently wrap the baby in it.

Point 1: Gentle underwear is necessary because baby's skin is very delicate

Babies have a very delicate skin. The skin of a baby is only half as thick as the skin of an adult. It is as soft as the skin on our eyelids, and very, very delicate.

The skin of a baby can be very easily injured even if it is just scratched very lightly. That is why it is important to choose underwear that is very soft and that feels gentle to touch.

Point 2: Babies need underwear because they sweat

We as adults feel that "adults don't need to wear underwear under a T-shirt or a shirt, so should it not be OK for babies not to have underwear?"

But even when babies' temperature is normal, it is at about 37 degrees Celsius, and even though their bodies are small, they have the same sweat glands as adults because their body temperature regulating function is still immature.

That is why they sweat a lot. When they drink milk from their mother's breasts, they use their whole body for the effort and this make them sweat again. That is why they need underwear to absorb the sweat.So, because they sweat, let's change them into a clean underwear.

Point 3: What is a good underwear for a baby?

A baby sweats in particular on the neck and in the armpits, as well as at the knee joints and at the base of the foot and in other areas of "constriction".

When sweat accumulates and the wet status of the baby is continues, bacteria can easily propagate, which can cause rashes and eczema. In order to prevent this, underwear that will readily absorb sweat is necessary.

That is why it is necessary to choose underwear that is made of a soft cotton material and that is hygroscopic and has excellent permeability to air. In addition, another important role of underwear is to keep the baby warm because babies do not handle body temperature regulation well yet. So let us choose baby underwear that is both breathable and retains heat.

Point 4: Selection of underwear is very important for babies with a low immunity

According Professor Yasunori Yoshimura, Professor Emeritus of Keio University, Special Advisor of Miki House for parenting, "We have to be very careful about infectious and other diseases because there are many opportunities to take a baby outside once the baby1 month old.

Many people mistakenly think that babies have natural immunity, and the fact is, mother's milk, which is called "colostrum" does contain immunoglobulin during the first week after a baby is born, which is why the baby is immune. But babies originally have no immunity of their own. Accordingly, it is easy for babies to catch various infectious diseases. In addition, since there are many opportunities to take a baby outside once they are about 1 month old, this risk is increased. Especially common is for example pharyngitis, bronchitis and other diseases. Because babies have a low immunity level, when families with babies hold a baby, they need to wash their hands and gargle. Also, since the skin is so thin, it is very delicate and because external stimuli can easily result in skin irritations, parents need to pay attention to avoid these problems. To make sure that the baby will be healthy every day, parents need to keep the baby in mind and that is why the selection of underwear is very important.

Professor Yasunori Yoshimura, Professor Emeritus of Keio University, Special Advisor of Miki House for parenting, graduated from the School of Medicine of Keio University. In 1995 he was appointed Professor at the University's School of Medicine. He is a Director Emeritus of the Shinyurigaoka General Hospital. His specialty is reproductive physiology, infertility and clinical endocrinology. He is a leading expert on treatment of infertility in Japan.

In March of 2013, he was appointed to the Cabinet Secretariat of the Second Cabinet of Prime Minister Abe. He is actively promoting countermeasures against declining birthrate and promoting childcare support.

Professor Yasunori Yoshimura

Keio University School of Medicine, Professor Emeritus - Shinyurigaoka General Hospital Director Emeritus