You could make bath-time part of your evening routine. It can be fun for you and your baby but, there are several safety tips you should keep in mind.
- The single most important thing to remember is that you must never leave you baby unattended for even a second whilst they are in the bath. Get everything you will need ready before you start the bathing process: towels, toiletries, new nappy, night-clothes. Once you have your baby in the bath you will be unable to leave them. If the phone rings, ignore it, they will call back. Children can drown in under a minute in less that 2.5cm of water.
- Never put your baby in the bath whilst the water is still running. The water temperature could change and scold them. The water needs to be comfortably warm, not hot, about 100 degrees Fahrenheit/ 38 degrees Centigrade is proven to help babies retain their body heat. Put cold water in first, then add hot to bring up to temperature.
- If you are using your family bath, make it safe by adding a rubber bathmat, to prevent slipping and, cover the taps. Don’t allow your child to touch the taps. One day they will be strong enough to turn them on and the hot water tap could lead to serious injury.
- For new-borns and babies up to six months old you only need about five inches of water. Just enough to allow your baby to settle in the water with their shoulders covered. Never allow older children to have the water more than waist height.
- For older children a bath seat might be useful. It will give you two free hands because of the support it offers. However, you still need to be alert at all times. Children have died when they were left unattended in a bath seat.
- Never allow a child to stand in the bath.
- Many babies and parents love bath-time whilst other don’t. There is no real for a daily bath but, if your baby enjoys it you could make it part of your night-time routine. It will help relax your baby and they will learn that it’s soon going to be bedtime. This may help their sleeping pattern. Your baby’s hair does not need washing every day. The hair follicles produce little oil and one wash per week will probably be enough.
- Use soaps, shampoos and bubble baths sparingly as you could cause you babies skin to become dry and sensitive. Use mild products, which have been specifically designed for babies.
- When you remove your baby from the bath you need to minimise body heat loss. This is particularly important for new-borns. Make sure the room is warm and wrap your baby in a large towel as soon as you lift them out. Dab your baby dry gently and dress them immediately. Once dressed, give them a cuddle to ensure they warm up quickly.
No comments:
Post a Comment