How often to bathe a newborn?

Bathing a baby in a bathtub or bucket is a daily routine for most parents. Evening bathing is a ritual that parents look forward to. Since newborns and infants need to be changed several times a day, care must be taken to keep sensitive parts (genitals, buttocks) and their surroundings clean. Most parents use damp cloths, or remove dirt under running water. Such small children do not have the opportunity to get very dirty, so the question arises, how often to bathe a newborn.

The baby spent 9 months in the womb, so he is used to water and warm water reminds him of the time in the mother's womb. Most children like warm water, so bathing is a joy, but this is not always the case.

Despite the fact that water is a natural environment for babies, daily bathing is not necessary. According to several studies, it is enough for children up to 1 year to bathe a maximum of 3 times a week, or every 3rd day. Daily bathing is not automatically bad, as it creates a routine, but it reduces the amount of bacteria on the child's skin, which form a natural protective layer, and increases the risk of atopic eczema and various skin infections. If the child has sensitive skin, it dries out during daily bathing.

Every day, in addition to washing when changing diapers, it is necessary to clean the folds on the neck, armpits and groin using a piece of cotton cloth or a terry glove soaked in warm water.

It is not even necessary to wash the hair with shampoo every day, but it is necessary to wash the scalp in order to remove dead epithelial cells and prevent seborrhea. Just moisten the baby's head with lukewarm water and rub it with either a terry glove or a cloth diaper. Start using baby shampoo only when the hair starts to grow.

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