Bathtime for Baby
IN INFANTS' HEALTH
Feed your baby? Check. Change his or her diaper? Check. Give him or her a bath? Oops! Giving your baby a bath and keeping him or her clean plays a crucial role in his or her health, which is why it is so important to give your baby a proper bath, regularly.
Bathing Your Baby
While bathing your baby may make you nervous in the beginning, learning the basics of bathing your baby will help you and your baby feel more comfortable during bath time than ever before. All it takes is a little knowledge and practice.
First, bathe your baby regularly. This does not mean every day, especially because doing this may dry out your baby’s skin. Bathing him or her two or three times a week using a mild soap and shampooing your baby’s hair once or twice a week, is usually a sufficient amount. However, you should clean parts that need special attention every day, which include the face, neck and bottom. Also, washing the cleaner areas first on your baby and then moving to the dirtier parts will help you keep your washcloth cleaner for a longer period of time.
Stop!
When preparing to bathe your baby, don’t fill the water up in the tub as high as you would if you were taking a bath. All you need to bathe your baby is five centimeters of water. Remember, too, never to leave your baby alone in the tub. Although five centimeters may not seem like a lot to you, your baby could still drown in that amount of water. Also, water temperature should be at room temperature—approximately 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Also, when cleaning your baby’s ears, clean only the outside. Do not use a cotton swab.
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Do You Really Need a Baby Bathtub? After buying your baby bed and blankets, you might next consider a baby bath. However, how necessary is a baby bathtub, and would the money be better spent on other things? To Buy or Not to Buy The price of a baby bathtub can range from $15 to $40. However, this might be money well spent. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, dozens of children drown annually in the United States, including incidents in which the parents were giving their babies baths. Therefore, especially in the early months of babies’ lives when they cannot lift their heads or sit up, baby bathtubs are much-needed. Before buying one, however, research which bathtubs earned the best consumer reviews. |
Sources: bodyandhealth.canada.com, cnn.com, emedicinehealth.com, pediatrics.about.com
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