Sponge Bathing Your Baby

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• Sponge bathe your baby for the first few weeks after he is born. Sponge bathe your baby until his umbilical (um-BIL-i-kal) cord falls off, and the area heals. If you have a baby boy who was circumcised (SER-kum-sized), sponge bathe until his circumcision has healed. Then, you may tub bathe your baby.
  
  
• If you keep your baby's diaper area (his bottom) clean, he may only need two or three baths per week. Too much bathing can dry out your baby's delicate skin. Every baby reacts differently to a bath. Some babies are quiet, while most will cry or kick during the bath. Sponge bathe your baby gently and in less than ten minutes. Otherwise, your baby could get cold from being wet. In time, your baby will get used to being unclothed, having wet skin, and being handled during his bath.

INSTRUCTIONS:

How do I give my baby a sponge bath?

• Get an area ready your baby's sponge bath. Make sure you have everything you need within easy reach so will not need to leave baby during his bath. This includes water, baby soap and shampoo, washcloth, towels, clean diaper, and clothes.
  
  
• Put a towel on a flat surface. Lay your baby on the towel.
  
  
• Never leave your baby alone while sponge bathing him, not even for a few minutes. If you must leave the room, wrap your baby in a towel and take him with you.
  
  
• Use water that feels warm to your skin, not hot.
  
  
• Keep your baby's body clothed or wrapped in a towel until you are finished washing his face and head. Wash your baby's face first using a wet washcloth and no soap. Wash the eyelids with fresh water, wiping from the inner corners and out toward the ears. Wash behind and around the outsides of the ears with a cloth. Do not put cotton swabs in your baby's ears.
  
  
• Your baby's head and hair may be washed one or two times each week with a gentle shampoo. Rinse your baby's head with a washcloth to get rid of all shampoo. Dry his head and hair right after shampooing.
  
  
• Wash the rest of your baby's body with a mild soap. Go down your baby's body carefully, making sure to wash skin folds under the neck, arms, and between the legs. Wash your baby's diaper area (his bottom) last. Wash a baby boy's bottom with mild soap or with plain water. Be sure to lift the scrotum and wash underneath it. Wash a baby girl's bottom with plain water. Always wipe from front to back.
  
  
• Rinse the soap off well and dry your baby. Soap left on your baby's skin can be irritating.
  
  
• You may rub a small amount of unscented lotion onto dry patches of your baby's skin. Otherwise, lotions, powers, and oil are usually not needed for newborn babies. Try to use soaps and skin products made especially for babies. If your baby's skin seems very dry, bathe him only one or two times each week. Call your baby's caregiver if baby develops a rash that will not go away.
  
  
• Ask your caregiver how you should care for your baby's umbilical cord. Some caregivers may suggest using alcohol and a cotton swab to clean your baby's umbilical cord. Other caregivers may suggest letting the cord air-dry instead of using alcohol.

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• Your baby develops a rash that is spreading or that will not go away.
  
  
• Your baby has a birthmark that is getting bigger.

Copyright © 2008 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.

The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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