How Warm Should A Newborn Bath Be

Where Do I Start

A babys hair tends to get greasy quite quickly, so its best to wash their hair every time you bath them, advises Gray.

Undress your baby and wrap them in a towel to keep them warm, . Then carefully hold your baby over the bath and gently scoop the warm water, over their head to wet it, apply a small amount of baby shampoo, lather and rinse.

What Is The Best Baby Bath Temperature

You want to find the perfect medium for your babys safety and comfort with their tub water temperature. You want the water more warm than cold since a baby gets cold easily. Aim for the bath waters temperature to be around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, maybe a few degrees above, but definitely below 120 degrees. The room should stay at a nice and toasty temp, too. To prevent scalding, its recommended to set the thermostat on your homes water heater to below 120 degrees just in case!

You might need to hire a plumber to install a valve or thermostatic mixing valve at your water heater or hot water supply. Also, you may want to consider installing anti-scalding devices to place on taps and shower outlets to reduce the risk of scalding.

Safety Tips For Bath Time

Its important to keep safety in mind at bath time. Babies and young children should never be left unattended in a bath, not even for a minute . Here are some bath time tips:

• Get everything ready ahead of your babys bath, so you have everything you need to hand.
• Make sure you always use the hot and cold taps at the same time when you run the bath.
• Check the bath water temperature first before putting your baby in. The standard way to check is to put your elbow in the water because your hand can cope with high temperatures.
• Dont be distracted away by another child, a phone call or doorbell. What feels like a couple of seconds can turn into a minute or two. Leaving your little one even for a few moments could be enough time for them to seriously hurt themselves or drown.
• If you forget anything ask your partner or another family member to grab it for you. Or take your baby with you to get what you need.

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What Temperature Should The Bath Water Be

In order to prevent both cold stress and scalding during the newborn bath, water temperature should be kept close to body temperature at 37 – 37.5 °C . Before the newborn is placed into the bath, the water should be mixed to ensure even heat distribution. The nurse or parent must make sure that the newborns temperature is stable before proceeding with the bath. In addition, the area should be absent of drafts and room temperature should be a minimum of 21 – 22 °C throughout the bath.

Recommendations

• Bath water temperature should be maintained between 37 – 37.5 °C
• Bath water should be mixed prior to placing the newborn in the tub to ensure even heat distribution
• Room temperature should be a minimum of 21 – 22 °C and there should be no drafts
• Always make sure the newborn’s temperature is at least 36.5 °C before administering a bath

How Do I Wash My Baby

• If you want to top and tail your newborn, you can do this by washing them using cotton wool and bowls of warm water.
• You can wash your newborn in a small baby bath.
• If youd prefer to share a bath with your little one, see below for more details.
• It can help to have an extra pair of hands at bath time, so encourage your partner to get involved.
• You shouldnt use any cleansing products to bathe your baby only mild, non-perfumed soap can be used where needed. Plain water is safer for your babys skin during in the first month.

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Tips For Safely Bathing Your Newborn

Besides keeping your baby happy and getting them clean, safety should be a top concern when it comes to bathing your baby. Unfortunately, drowning is something all parents of newborns need to be aware of.

As the AAP notes, ost child drownings inside the home occur in bathtubs, and more than half of bathtub deaths involve children under 1 year of age. These are sobering statistics, but they are not meant to scare you instead, they are reminders to take safety very seriously when it comes to bathing your baby.

Here are some other safety recommendations to keep in mind:

How To Bathe Your Baby

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Additional Safety Tips To Follow

• When placing your child in a bathtub, always hold them carefully with your dominant hand. You can use the other hand to support their back and head.

• The faucet attached to the bathtub heats up after running hot water. So, ensure that you place your baby away from the faucet to avoid chances of accidentally burning their skin.

• Do not bathe your child with warm water running from the faucet.

• If there is a risk of your child touching the hot faucet, cover it with a faucet cover.

• Never leave your child alone in the bathtub, as they could drown or accidentally slip and hurt themselves.

• Ensure the room temperature is warm so that your child does not feel cold during or after a bath.

• Ensure that there are no drafts of air entering the bath area.

• The ideal time to bathe newborns and infants is noon when the environmental temperature is highest in the day.

• Wrap your baby in a soft, thick towel and dry them quickly and thoroughly so they do not catch a cold.

• Your babys body should be completely dry before you put on the diaper and clothes.

Although you need to be extra careful when bathing your child, you do not need to stress too much about it. Follow the precautions listed above, and trust your instincts. Your love for your baby will always ensure that you do the best for your child.

Now that you know what the ideal baby bath temperature is, you may want to read this, 11 Important And Loving Steps On How To Bathe A Baby.

References:

Best Kind Of Soap For Babies

Newborns dont need a ton of soap, and baby shampoo isnt strictly necessary.

Doctors recommend using the most mild soap you can find, as baby skin tends to be very sensitive. Unscented soaps are usually your best bet, and you can stay away from antibacterial soap or soap with many additives.

Read labels: If the soap has a long list of ingredients, its probably best to try something simpler. After bathing your baby, it can be helpful to follow up with some baby-friendly moisturizer, especially if your baby tends to have dry skin.

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When Should I Give My Baby A Bath

• You dont need to give your newborn baby a bath in their first few days but you can if you like.
• If youre anxious about bathing your little one, you dont need to put them into a bath until you feel confident about it.
• You may prefer to just wash your little ones face and bottom to begin with. This is sometimes called topping and tailing.
• Choose a bath time when your little one is content and awake. Its better not to bathe your baby straight after a feed or when theyre hungry or tired.
• Some babies love bath time to begin with, others dont. You may need to try different ways of bathing your baby and at different times of day, to find out what suits you both.

How Often Should I Bath My Baby

You do not have to bath a newborn baby every day. Over-bathing can dry out a babys delicate skin and, because they cant move around on their own, they tend to stay fairly clean.

In most cases, giving a proper bath three times a week is sufficient, with cloth-bathing in between, says Clicks Senior Clinic Sister Carol Gray.

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Safe Baby Bath Temperature

Most babies love bath time. But even though bath time can be fun, there are serious safety tips to follow to avoid accidents. In this article, part of our National Bath Safety Month series, well cover the importance of safe bath temperatures for your baby.

Since babies can be scalded by hot water in merely a second, water temperature safety is a critical component to overall bath safety. There are many things you can do to prevent running an overly hot bath, even if you have a problematic faucet.

One of the first things you can do is adjust your water systems temperature setting. Most hot water systems have a temperature control. If you adjust the temperature at the source, you can avoid potential problems with the heat of the water coming out of the faucet. If you can set it below 120 F that makes it easier to run a bath thats between 90-100 F, which is not too hot and not too cold.

Use the elbow test to determine if the bath is the correct temperature. Instead of feeling the water with your hand, put your elbow in it. If your elbow feels warm, the bath temperature is good for your baby. If the water feels hot on your elbow, the water will be hot for baby.

If you find that your bath water is too hot, you can add cold water to cool it down. Just make sure you swirl the water to eliminate any hot spots. Also, make sure you dont make the bath water too deep2-4 inches of water is plenty! If its too deep, let the water drain out.

When Is The Best Time Of Day To Bathe Your Newborn

There is no one perfect time to give your baby a bath â itâs your decision. Choose a time when youâre least likely to be interrupted and you arenât in a hurry.As a general rule, youâll find bathing your newborn is usually easiest when he or she is wide awake and content.Itâs best not to bathe your newborn baby when he or she is tired or hungry. If you plan to give your baby a bath after feeding, wait a while to give your childâs tummy a chance to settle.When your infantâs a little older , you might like to schedule bath times for the evening as part of his or her bedtime routine.

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How Long Can You Go Without Bathing A Newborn

You may bathe the baby less than three times a week. Alternatively, you may give sponge baths even after their umbilical cord falls off and only bathe the baby in a bathtub when they are soiled and dirty. Parents may prefer to wash only the face, hands, neck, and bottom. This is known as topping and tailing . Ultimately, parents may choose a frequency of bathing the baby based on their choices and the pediatricians opinion.

Check The Water Temperature

Warmer water may feel more comfortable for your baby now that its colder outside, but make sure not to turn the hot water tap on too high. Hot water can be dangerous for your little one, so aim for warm water at a temperature of around 90° to 100° F. You can also use your elbow or wrist to check that the temperature feels just right. Dont let your baby soak too long in the bath, either. He may start to feel chilly and his skin may start to get dry after just a few minutes.

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What Are The Best Baby Bath T Hermometers

There are baby bath thermometers on the market specially designed to measure the baby bath temperature. These are more reliable and do not have to cost a lot.

If you dont trust yourself testing with your elbow, another option is to buy one of these bath thermometers to check the baby bathwater.

The latest models are all digital thermometers displaying the temperature on a little LCD screen. To make it more fun for your baby, choose one you can use as a floating

Bath Temperature For Your Baby

Make sure the room you are bathing them in is warm. Close windows to prevent a draught.

Put the cold water in the basin or bath first. Then put the warm water in. Finally put cold water in again to make sure the taps are cool and won’t burn your baby.

The temperature should be about 36 degrees Celsius. Use a bath thermometer to test this.

Always check the temperature of the bathwater with your elbow. Your hands are not heat-sensitive enough. Mix the water well to ensure there are no ‘hot spots’.

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When To Give Your Newborn A Bath

The World Health Organization recommends waiting 24 hours before giving the newborn their first bath. If you cannot delay bathing for 24 hours for some reason, wait at least six hours after the babys birth. The babys first bath should always be a sponge bath since the umbilical cord stump would still be intact. Give your baby sponge baths until the dry stump falls, which takes about a week or two. You may then bathe your baby the conventional way in a bathtub.

It is essential to avoid bathing your newborn immediately after birth because bathing them too soon may lead to the following problems .

• Interferes with skin-to-skin care and breastfeeding: Giving your newborn a bath soon after birth may restrict their access to the mother. Early maternal bonding is vital for establishing skin-to-skin care and breastfeeding, vital for a babys healthy growth. Breastfeeding benefits are even helpful for the mother.

• Affects temperature and blood sugar: Newborns bodies need some time to adapt to the world outside the womb. Bathing a newborn soon after birth may make it difficult for the body to regulate temperature, increasing the risk of hypothermia . Hypothermia combined with the stress of having an early bath may even cause some babies to experience hypoglycemia .