Baby Products: What do you really need, and what’s just good marketing?

I often get asked whether parents need to use baby shampoo or baby soap to clean their baby. New parents also ask whether it is all right to mix their baby’s clothes in with the regular wash. Many of these questions arise after the parents take a trip to Babies R Us or another baby store and see all the products available. How many of these so-called baby products are actually necessary? The answer is “it depends.”

If we were really to go back to basics, a baby needs food, shelter, and love, just like the rest of us. But since few of us are satisfied with just a roof over our heads, it makes sense that we want to provide our babies with more as well. The upside of product development is that modern baby products do make life easier in many ways. For example, the baby jogger is brilliant—you can get exercise while pushing your baby in the stroller, and a good time is had by all (unless he decided to have a meltdown mid-jog). Diaper creams with zinc oxide and lanolin are good products to prevent or treat diaper rash. But do you have to use baby wipes or will warm water and soap do?

If your baby has extremely sensitive skin, it may be that a mild soap with no added fragrance is a good choice. But if your baby is not that sensitive, there is no reason not to use regular soap to wash him. Baby shampoo is fine, but you don’t have to use it. Baby hair is not that fragile and no baby likes shampoo in his eyes whether it is baby shampoo or regular. If your baby does not have a diaper rash and does not tend to get them, you do not need to use diaper cream. If, on the other hand, he has many loose poops and gets rashes easily, it makes sense to use a thick protective layer of diaper cream to prevent a rash.

There are a few babies who are sensitive to regular household detergent. In that case, washing his clothes separately with a mild hypoallergenic detergent makes sense. For most babies, however, just throwing their clothes in with the family wash is fine.

Wipes are another overused product. They are handy when traveling but warm water and soap on a washcloth can clean just as well. I used to hold my babies under the faucet in the kitchen to clean them. This is cheap, quick, and effective, as long as you have a good grip on the baby.

Baby food products are also heavily marketed. Most parents today find prepared baby foods to be easier than the homemade sorts. But many of my patients choose to make their own baby food using a simple blender. The only caveat would be not to add salt or spices. Try to stick to basic foods in the beginning. If your baby has allergic tendencies, then you should clear the foods with your pediatrician. Store-bought baby cereal is a good idea because it is fortified with iron.

So many of the baby products make life easier and are good for your baby. But others are really not necessary and are an added expense. Use good judgment in deciding what products really benefit your child before spending unnecessary dollars on them.

Which products have you found to be essential in baby care? Which ones are expendable?

Dr. Victoria McEvoy graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1975 and is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at HMS. She is the Medical Director and Chief of Pediatrics at Mass General West Medical Group. She has practiced pediatrics for almost thirty years. She has been married to Earl for thirty six years and raised four children. She currently enjoys writing, traveling, reading, almost all sports, and spending time with her two grandsons.

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