Baby Care Traditions: What to Keep, Adapt and Skip

Every Indian family arrives at parenthood carrying a suitcase of advice. Some of it is warm, wise and worth keeping. Some of it made sense a generation ago but doesn't fit what we now know about a newborn's body. And a little of it, however lovingly given, is best set aside.

This is a calm, evidence-led place to sort through the traditions you'll hear at every family gathering — kajal, ubtan, malish, janam ghutti, mundan and more. No fear, no lectures, and no dismissing your grandmother. Just clear reasoning a tired parent can read at 2am and act on with confidence.

Below you'll find short overviews of each practice, with links to deeper guides where the detail matters. Where a tradition is gentle and harmless, we say so. Where the science asks for care, we explain why — so you can make the call, not just follow it.

Why traditions deserve a second look — not a blanket ban

Most inherited baby-care rituals began as genuine acts of care: warmth, touch, cleanliness, protection. The oil massage that soothes your baby to sleep is real bonding. The instinct to keep a newborn close and covered is sound. So the goal here isn't to discard the past — it's to separate the ritual (usually lovely) from any claim or ingredient that could carry risk.

A helpful way to think about every tradition is three buckets: keep it as-is, adapt it into a safer form, or gently stop. Our guide "Dadi kehti hain: 10 traditions sorted into keep, adapt and stop" walks through this framework across the ten you'll hear most often.

Traditions that meet a baby's eyes, skin and hair

Some of the most common rituals involve applying something to a newborn — and these deserve the closest look, because newborn skin is thinner and more absorbent than adult skin, and the eyes and airways are delicate.

Kajal in the eyes. Applied to protect the eye or ward off nazar, but the concern is what traditional kajal can contain. Our guide on kajal and lead testing explains what the actual lab findings show and why the eye area asks for caution.
Ubtan for skin and body hair. A time-honoured cleansing paste. We look at whether ubtan really removes body hair, and how a traditional recipe compares with modern gentle cleansers — what it does, and what it doesn't.
Oil in the nose and ears. Meant to clear and protect, but instilling oil into a baby's nose carries a genuine aspiration risk. Our guide explains the tradition and the safer boundary.

A quiet reassurance woven through all of these: darkening newborn skin is almost always normal melanin maturation, not a problem to fix. Our melanin guide explains why — and why no honest brand will ever promise to lighten a baby's skin.

Feeding and the first six months

The strongest evidence in all of baby care points one way: for the first six months, breast milk (or formula) is all a healthy baby needs. That makes the feeding traditions worth understanding carefully.

Janam ghutti. Given to "clean the stomach" or ease the first days. Our guide unpacks what's typically in it and why the first six months are best kept milk-only.
Gripe water. A household staple for colic and gas. We look at the ingredients, the possible side effects, and what the evidence actually says about whether it helps.

These aren't about blame — they're about knowing that a newborn's gut and kidneys are still maturing, so anything other than milk asks for a paediatrician's nod first.

Mundan, head shape and hair

The first head-shave is a cherished milestone. The ritual itself is fine; it's the after-care and the myths that need a word.

After mundan. A freshly shaved scalp is exposed and sensitive. Our first-week scalp-care guide covers keeping it clean, protected and comfortable.
Does mundan thicken hair? A popular belief — and one the evidence doesn't support. We explain why shaving changes how hair looks, not how it grows.
Head shaper pillows. Sold to "round" a baby's head, but paediatricians warn against them for a serious reason. Our guide explains the safe-sleep concern.

How to use these guides

You don't need to read everything tonight. Start with whatever advice you're facing this week, read that one guide, and come back when the next tradition comes up. Each guide is written to help you have a warm, informed conversation with your family — not to win an argument, but to make a choice you feel good about.

And a steady rule under all of it: when something involves a baby's eyes, breathing, feeding or sleep, and you're unsure, ask your paediatrician. That single habit keeps you safe across every tradition on this page.

Guides in this series

Frequently asked questions

Is it wrong to follow any of these traditions?

Not at all. Many baby-care traditions — gentle massage, keeping baby warm, the ritual of mundan — are harmless and lovely. The care is only needed where a practice puts something in a baby's eyes, nose or tummy, or makes a claim the evidence doesn't back. Our guides sort each one into keep, adapt or stop.

My mother-in-law insists on kajal. How do I handle it gently?

You can honour the intention (protection and love) while explaining the concern about what traditional kajal may contain, especially near a baby's eyes. Reading our kajal guide together often helps — it's the lab findings talking, not you overruling her.

Can I give my newborn janam ghutti or gripe water for gas?

For the first six months, a healthy baby needs only breast milk or formula — anything else is best discussed with your paediatrician first, since a newborn's gut and kidneys are still maturing. Our janam ghutti and gripe water guides explain what's in them and what the evidence says.

Does shaving my baby's head at mundan make the hair grow thicker?

No. Shaving changes how the hair looks as it regrows — blunt tips can seem coarser — but it doesn't change the follicle or make hair grow denser. Our mundan guides cover this and how to care for the scalp afterwards.

Why is my newborn's skin getting darker — should I use ubtan to lighten it?

Darkening in the early weeks is usually normal melanin maturation, not something to correct. Ubtan is a traditional cleanser, not a lightening treatment, and no responsible brand promises to lighten a baby's skin. Our melanin and ubtan guides explain both honestly.

Are head shaper pillows safe for rounding my baby's head?

Paediatricians advise against them because of safe-sleep risks. A baby's head shape typically evens out on its own with normal supervised tummy time and position changes. Our guide explains the concern and the safer approach.

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