Parents can adjust the bathing frequency for newborns based on weather, health, and skin condition. For healthy babies, bathing about three times a week is suitable. Parents may also bathe their baby daily if needed, as a way to establish a routine and help the baby relax before bedtime.

Avoid bathing a baby when they are too hungry or too full; the ideal time is about 30 minutes after a feeding. Before bathing, ensure the room temperature is around 28-30 degrees Celsius. The bath water should be clean and warm, approximately 37-38 degrees Celsius; parents can test it with their elbow to ensure it feels warm enough.

A nurse is bathing a newborn with warm water and specialized bath and shampoo products. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital

Bathing time should not exceed 10 minutes. For babies under three months old, the ideal bathing time is only about 4-5 minutes to prevent them from getting cold.

Parents can choose between a full bath (where the baby is submerged in water throughout the process) or a sponge bath (partial bath). For a full bath, clean the baby's body from top to bottom. Pay attention to thoroughly cleaning the armpits, neck folds, arms, thighs, and buttocks, as these areas tend to accumulate sweat and dirt.

After cleaning the upper body, proceed to clean the baby's genital and anal areas. Finally, rinse the baby with a basin of clean, pre-prepared water and gently dry the body.

It is crucial to dry the umbilical stump thoroughly and clean it with physiological saline solution; do not use alcohol or iodine for umbilical stump care. Use cotton wool or a clean towel to ensure the umbilical stump is completely dry after bathing or cleaning with saline.

Conversely, a sponge bath (partial bath) is often used when the baby is ill, during very cold weather, or if the umbilical cord has not yet fallen off and parents wish to minimize the risk of wetting the navel area.

With this method, use only clean, warm water without bath soap or shampoo. The baby should be wrapped in a large towel to stay warm, exposing only one body part at a time for cleaning. Parents can wipe the baby's body in order, starting from the corner of the eyes, moving around the ears, then to the neck, armpits, palms, chest, abdomen, back, thighs, and buttocks. During this process, pay close attention to thoroughly cleaning the folds in the thighs and buttocks, while also avoiding wetting the navel area.

The genital and anal areas should be cleaned with cotton gauze or a soft cloth. After completion, use another clean, dry towel to wrap the baby, thoroughly dry the body, then dress and diaper the baby.

In addition to choosing the appropriate bathing method, remember that newborns can be bathed and washed using only clean, warm water without necessarily needing bath products. If parents choose to use products, they should select those specifically designed for newborns.

Master of Science, Doctor Nguyen Thu Van

Deputy Head of Neonatology Department

Tam Anh General Hospital Hanoi