Bathing Your Baby: The Safety Rule, And The Technique

Bathing your baby doesn't only make him clean. Bathing him will also allow you to thoroughly check your baby’s body allowing you to evaluate your child’s physical condition. It also relaxes your baby so he easily goes to sleep after a warm bath.

Everything about bathing a baby is straightforward except one thing, and that one thing comes before any of the technique.

A baby can drown in a few centimetres of water, in seconds, and silently.

There’s no splashing and no noise. This is what catches people out. Parents expect drowning to be audible from the next room, and it isn’t.

Never leave a baby or young child in the bath alone. Not for a second. If the doorbell goes or the phone rings, wrap them in a towel and take them with you.

Bath seats and rings aren’t safety devices. They tip, and children have drowned in them. They’re a convenience for the adult and they don’t reduce the need to be within arm’s reach.

An older sibling isn’t supervision.

Water temperature

37 to 38°C, which is roughly body temperature and feels barely warm to an adult hand.
Test with your elbow or inner wrist, not your hand. Hands tolerate far more heat than a baby’s skin.
Run cold first and cold last. That way the tap and the last of the water aren’t scalding hot.
Turn the water heater down if you can. It removes the risk instead of managing it.
Never add hot water while the baby is in the bath.
Mix and test again after any adjustment: hot water settles in layers.

How often

Less than most people assume. Two or three times a week is plenty for a newborn, with topping and tailing in between: face, neck, hands and nappy area with cotton wool and warm water.

Daily bathing dries the skin, and for an eczema-prone baby it makes things worse, not better. Once they’re crawling and eating solids, daily becomes reasonable.

Sponge baths only until the cord stump falls off, usually between five and fifteen days.

The bath itself

Get everything ready first: towel, clean nappy, clothes, cotton wool. Once you start, you can’t leave.
Warm the room and close the door. Babies lose heat fast, even here.
Fill to about 10cm and no more.
Support the head and neck with your forearm, holding the far shoulder with that hand. Your other hand is free to wash.
Wash the face first with plain water, before anything else goes in.
Keep it short: five to ten minutes is ample for a newborn.
Pat dry, and get into the folds: neck, armpits, groin, behind the knees. Damp skin folds are where rashes start in this climate.

Products

Plain water for the first few weeks. Newborn skin doesn’t need cleansers.
Then fragrance-free, minimal ingredients. “Baby” on the front is marketing; the ingredient list is the information.
No bubble bath for eczema-prone skin: it strips the skin barrier.
Skip talcum powder. Inhaled powder is a real risk to a baby’s airways, and it doesn’t prevent nappy rash.
Moisturise after if the skin is dry or eczematous, within a few minutes of patting dry.
Nothing inside ears or nose. Clean only what you can see.
Girls: front to back, and don’t clean inside the labia.
Uncircumcised boys: don’t retract the foreskin. It separates on its own, usually over years, and forcing it causes damage.

Cradle cap and dry skin

Cradle cap, yellowish greasy scales on the scalp, is common, harmless and not caused by poor washing. Soften with a little oil, leave for a while, then brush gently with a soft brush and wash out. Don’t pick at it. It resolves on its own within months.

Older children

Stay in the room until at least four or five, and within earshot well beyond that.
Non-slip mat: most bathroom injuries are slips, not drownings.
Teach the cold-first rule as soon as they can reach a tap.
Empty the bath immediately afterwards. Standing water plus a toddler who can climb is the scenario to remove.
Keep the bathroom door shut when it isn’t in use, and toilet lids down for a crawling baby.

Bath time and language

Bath time is one of the better opportunities in a day for the back-and-forth that builds language: narrating, naming body parts, singing, waiting for a response. If you use the correct anatomical names for the genitals, the bath is where that happens naturally and unremarkably, and that’s exactly the tone you want.

Frequently asked questions

Can I leave my baby in the bath for a moment?

No. A baby can drown in a few centimetres of water, in seconds, and silently. There’s no splashing to alert you. If the door or phone goes, wrap them in a towel and take them with you.

Are bath seats safe?

They aren’t safety devices. Bath seats and rings tip over and children have drowned in them. They’re a convenience for the adult and don’t reduce the need to stay within arm’s reach.

What temperature should a baby’s bath be?

37 to 38°C, barely warm to an adult hand. Test with your elbow or inner wrist instead of your hand, run cold first and cold last, never add hot water while the baby is in, and mix and re-test after any adjustment since hot water sits in layers.

How often should I bathe my newborn?

Two or three times a week is plenty, with topping and tailing in between. Daily bathing dries the skin and makes eczema worse. Sponge baths only until the cord stump falls off, usually between five and fifteen days.

What products should I use?

Plain water for the first few weeks, then fragrance-free with minimal ingredients: “baby” on the front is marketing, the ingredient list is the information. Avoid bubble bath on eczema-prone skin and skip talcum powder, which poses a real inhalation risk and doesn’t prevent nappy rash.

What’s cradle cap and how do I treat it?

Yellowish greasy scales on the scalp, common and harmless, and not caused by poor washing. Soften with a little oil, leave it, brush gently with a soft brush and wash out. Don’t pick at it. It clears on its own within months.

What to remember

Never leave them, not for a second. Drowning is silent and takes very little water, and bath seats aren’t a substitute for your hands.

37 to 38°C, tested with your elbow, cold tap first and last. Ten centimetres of water, five to ten minutes.

Two or three times a week for a newborn, plain water, and dry the skin folds properly.