Always wipe a baby girl from front to back, moving away from the vulva toward the bottom. This single rule prevents bacteria from stool from reaching the urethra, where it can cause urinary tract infections. Up to 7% of girls will experience a UTI by age six, and proper wiping technique is one of the simplest ways to reduce that risk.
The Front-to-Back Technique
With your baby on her back, open a clean wipe or dampened cotton pad and start at the front of the vulva. In one smooth motion, wipe gently backward toward the anus. Use a fresh wipe for each pass rather than wiping back and forth, which can drag bacteria in the wrong direction.
For messy diaper changes, you may need several wipes. Clean the outer skin and thighs first to remove the bulk of the stool, then focus on the vulva with a clean wipe using that same front-to-back motion. Finish by wiping the bottom and around the anus last. Keeping the dirtiest area for the end minimizes the chance of spreading bacteria forward.
Cleaning Between the Folds
Stool and urine can collect in the creases between the labia, and it’s common for new parents to wonder how thoroughly they should clean this area. You don’t need to scrub or pull the labia apart aggressively, but you do need to gently separate the folds and wipe away any visible residue. Use a soft, damp wipe and light pressure. Leaving stool trapped in the folds can irritate the skin and contribute to infections.
If residue is stubbornly stuck, a bit of warm water on a cotton pad can help loosen it without friction. Pat the area dry afterward rather than rubbing.
Newborn Discharge Is Normal
In the first few weeks of life, you may notice a white or slightly mucous-like discharge on your baby girl’s vulva. Some newborns even have a small amount of blood-tinged discharge, sometimes called “pseudo-menses.” This happens because hormones that crossed the placenta during pregnancy are withdrawing from the baby’s system after birth. It’s harmless and resolves on its own within a few days to a couple of weeks.
You don’t need to scrub this discharge away. Gentle cleaning during regular diaper changes is enough. If it doesn’t wipe off easily, leave it. Forceful cleaning of normal discharge can irritate delicate tissue.
Wipes vs. Cotton and Water
For the first few weeks of life, many midwives recommend plain warm water with cotton pads or cotton wadding instead of commercial wipes. Newborn skin starts at a nearly neutral pH and is still developing its protective acid layer, making it more reactive to ingredients like preservatives or fragrance. Even wipes marketed as “water-based” sometimes contain citric acid or other additives that can trigger redness or rash in very new skin.
Traditional cotton balls can leave fibers behind, which is annoying and impractical. Cotton wadding or large cotton pads work better because they’re thicker and hold together. Once your baby is a few weeks old and her skin has matured, most babies tolerate gentle commercial wipes without issues. If you do switch to wipes, look for pH-buffered varieties without fragrance. Research shows that mildly acidic, pH-buffered wipes help maintain a healthier skin pH in the diaper area compared to wipes with limited buffering, which can leave the skin more alkaline and vulnerable to irritation.
That said, every baby’s skin reacts differently. Some tolerate commercial wipes from day one, while others break out in a rash for weeks. If you notice redness developing, switching back to water and cotton for a stretch is a reasonable first step before assuming it’s a different problem.
Barrier Cream and Diaper Rash Prevention
After cleaning, apply a thick layer of zinc-based barrier cream at every diaper change. The cream creates a physical shield between your baby’s skin and the moisture, enzymes, and bacteria in urine and stool. You don’t need to wipe old barrier cream off completely at each change. If the skin underneath looks clean and healthy, just add another layer on top. Removing it fully every time creates unnecessary friction.
When applying barrier cream on a girl, keep it on the outer skin of the buttocks, the creases of the thighs, and around the perineal area. You don’t need to apply it inside the labia or near the vaginal opening.
Labial Adhesions
Labial adhesions happen when the inner lips of the vulva partially or fully stick together. This is relatively common in infants and toddlers, primarily because estrogen levels are naturally low in young children. It’s not caused by poor hygiene, but keeping the area clean and dry can help prevent it from worsening.
In most cases, labial adhesions don’t cause symptoms and resolve on their own as the child grows. You should bring it up with your pediatrician if you notice the adhesion is covering the vaginal opening, seems to interfere with urination, or is causing pain or recurrent UTIs. If your child can’t urinate at all, that’s an emergency.
Signs of a Urinary Tract Infection
Even with good technique, UTIs can still happen. In babies, the symptoms aren’t always obvious since they can’t tell you it hurts to pee. Watch for foul-smelling urine, crying or fussiness during urination, fever without another clear cause, or a general sense that your baby seems unwell. In older infants and toddlers, abdominal tenderness, new wetting accidents, or back pain can also point to a UTI. When urinary symptoms are present in girls, the probability of an actual UTI ranges from 18% to 30%, so testing is typically warranted rather than waiting.
A UTI in a young infant is treated promptly, and most children recover quickly. A history of one UTI does increase the risk of another, which makes consistent front-to-back wiping even more worthwhile as a daily habit.