After your child's blood and marrow transplant (BMT), the health care team will perform a number of daily procedures to make sure your child stays as healthy as possible. You may want to help your child with some of these procedures as well.
Bathing
Your child will bathe with an anti-bacterial soap every day. This soap is called Bacti-Stat. Because the soap can dry your child’s skin, the nurse may add moisturizing oil to the rinse water. While in isolation, she will be given sponge baths. Infants are bathed in a stainless steel bathtub.
Mouth care
Chemotherapy, total body irradiation (TBI), oral infections or a combination of these factors can cause sores inside your child’s mouth and throat. Maintaining good mouth care is important to:
- reduce mouth pain and bleeding related to chemotherapy
- prevent infection, which may affect the entire body
- reduce the risk of future dental problems like cavities and gingivitis
It is also important for your child to maintain regular check-ups with your family dentist.
Taking good care of teeth and gums is especially important for your child while they are immuno-suppressed.
Here are some ways your child can take care of their teeth and gums.
- Brush their teeth and tongue two to three times daily with a soft toothbrush. They can also use an electric toothbrush and toothpaste.
- Do not use foam toothbrushes, since these are not effective at controlling plaque.
- Most mouthwashes sold in drug stores or grocery stores should not be used. They may have high alcohol content and can dry or irritate the mouth and gums. Flavouring and colouring agents also may be irritating. Visit the Canadian Dental Association website for more information on teeth cleaning.
For more information, see the page on Baking Soda Mouthwash. Also, see the page on Mucositis.
