Health-and-Nutrition/C2/How-to-bathe-a-newborn/English

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Visual Cue
Narration
Title Slide Welcome to the Spoken Tutorial on How to bathe a newborn.
Collage: Safety tips

Image: Bathing

Image: Sponge bath

Image: Regular bath

Image: Traditional bath

Image: Hilly area and cold region

Image: A baby with cradle cap

In this tutorial, we will learn about-
  • Safety tips for a mother or a caregiver before and during the bath
  • When to give a baby its first bath?
  • Sponge bath
  • Regular bath
  • Traditional bath
  • Bath to babies in hilly areas or cold regions and
  • Cradle cap
Image: Bathing

Collage: Safety tips to be followed before bathing

Image: Injury

  • All new parents are anxious about how to bathe a newborn.
  • Lot of care must be taken while bathing the baby.
  • One wrong step can harm the newborn a lot.

Collage: A safety tips to be followed before bathing a baby

Image: Unclipped fingernails Red cross mark

Image: Clipped fingernails with a Green check mark

Image: Rings, bangles and watches

Image: Injury

Before we begin, it is important to know:

The safety tips to be followed before bathing a baby -

  • The mother or the family member-
    • should always have clipped fingernails before touching the baby and
    • should not wear any rings, bangles or watches.
  • This will reduce the chances of injury to the baby.

Image: Sponge bath

Image: Natural delivery, C-section delivery

Image: Clock animation

Image: A baby with umbilical stump

Image: A baby with fallen umbilical cord

So, when to give a baby its first bath?
  • Mother can start giving a sponge bath to the baby after 48 hours of delivery.
  • Remember that only sponge bath should be given until the umbilical cord falls off.
Image: A baby with fallen umbilical cord

Image: Regular bath

Once the cord falls off -
  • the mother or any other family member can start giving regular bath to the baby.

Image: A baby with low birth weight

Image: Sponge bath

Image: A baby placed on digital weighing scale

However, in case a baby has low birth weight then -
  • such baby should be given sponge baths until it gains weight up to 2 kilograms.

Image: Sponge bath

Image: Warm room

Image: A room with open windows-Red cross mark

Image: A room with closed windows

Image: Small, soft clean cloth

Let us see how sponge bath is given.

Before starting, ensure that-

  • The room should be warm enough with closed windows.
  • Keep a very soft, clean, small cloth ready before giving a sponge bath.

Image: Flat surface

Image: Floor

Image: A baby placed on a high platform with Red cross mark

  • The baby should be placed on a safe, flat surface.
  • The floor would be the safest one.
  • Do not keep the baby on a high platform.

Image: Thermometer and tub

Image: A mother is checking the temperature of the water using her elbow or wrist.

  • The temperature of the water for bathing should not be more than 37 degrees celsius.
  • Mother should check the temperature of the water using her elbow or wrist.

Image: A tub containing soapy water

Image: A tub containing clean water

Image: Baby soap

  • During bathing, first, use soapy water for cleaning.
  • To make soapy water-
    • always use any mild, colourless and odourless soap or baby soap.
  • Then, use clean water to remove the soap.

Image: Dipped cloth in water

Image: squeezing out excess of water

Image: Wiping the baby’s eye

Image: old cloth and new cloth

Image: Fresh and soft cloth

  • Dip the small, soft cloth in water and squeeze out excess water.
  • Now wipe the baby’s eye from the inner corner to the outer edge.
  • Do not use the same cloth for wiping other body parts.
  • Always use a fresh and soft cloth to clean other body parts.

Image: Cleaning the creases underarms

Image: Cleaning the crease behind ears

Image: Cleaning the creases around the neck.

Image: Cleaning the creases near the genital area

Also, do not forget to clean creases -
  • under arms
  • behind the ears
  • around the neck
  • between fingers and toes and
  • in the genital area.
Image: Sponge bath

Image: Regular bath

Image: Healthy baby

Image: A baby with fallen umbilical cord

  • Now that we have discussed what is sponge bath let us learn about regular bath.

Please remember -

  • Regular bath should be given to all healthy babies after the umbilical cord falls off.

Image: A tub containing soapy water

Image: Filling bathtub upto 2 inches

Image: mild, colourless baby soap

Image: A tub containing fresh water

Image: A mother is giving a bath to a baby in a bathtub and tap is open with Red cross mark

During a regular bath, if you are using a bathtub -
  • First, fill the bathtub up to 2 inches with soapy water.
  • To make soapy water-
    • always use any mild colourless and odourless soap or baby soap, as explained earlier.
  • Keep another tub ready which contains fresh water.
  • Then, check the temperature of the water with your elbow in both the tubs.

Image: A mother checking the temperature of the water

Image: A mother placing the baby in the bath tub

Image: Addition of water during bathing

  • After you are satisfied with the temperature of the water -
    • very carefully place the baby in the tub which contains soapy water,
    • ensuring that the head is supported always.
  • Do not add extra water when the baby is already in the tub.

Image: Washing the baby’s head

Image: Washing the other body parts of the baby

Image: Washing the baby's genital area

Image: Gently washing the baby with fresh water

To begin with,
  • First, wash the baby’s head by using odourless and colourless baby shampoo or soap.
  • Then gently wash away the soap with fresh water.
  • Next, clean the rest of the body along with the creases and nappy area
    • which is the most contaminated.
  • In the end, gently wash the rest of the body with fresh water.

Image: Traditional Indian method of bathing

Image: A mother is sitting on the floor by spreading legs parallel to each other.

Image: A baby is placed on mother’s legs

On the other hand -
  • If the mother or caregiver wants to give bath to the baby in the traditional Indian method then -
    • sit on the floor by spreading your legs parallel to each other
    • then, place the baby on your leg
    • baby’s head should be near the mother or caregiver’s feet
    • baby’s feet should be near the mother or caregiver’s abdomen
  • Now the baby is in the correct position to be bathed.

Image: A mother drying the baby

Collage: Drying the creases of baby's body.

After bathing, dry the baby immediately using soft and clean towels.
  • Remember to dry the creases as explained earlier.

Image: Talcum powder

Image: A mother applying talcum powder on the baby's abdomen.

Image: Surma and kajal

Image: A mother applying kajal or Surma in the baby's eyes.

Image: Breathing difficulties

  • Also avoid using talcum powder or baby powder.
  • Baby powders may cause breathing difficulties in newborns.
  • Never use surmaa or kajal in the eyes.
  • Use surmaa or kajal may lead to lead poisoning and infection in newborns.

Image: Hilly region

Image: Cold region

Interestingly, special care must be taken for the babies living in -
  • hilly areas or
  • cold regions.

Image: Sponge bath

Image: Skin to skin contact

Image: A baby with low body temperature

  • For babies in such places-
    • a quick daily sponge bath can be given before the cord falls off.
  • However, immediately after drying the baby -
    • mother or caregiver must provide skin to skin contact to the baby.
  • This will reduce the risk of low body temperature in babies.

Image: Shampooing

GIF: Calendar

Please note that -
  • Shampooing should be done twice a week.
  • Do not shampoo every day as it will cause dryness of the scalp.

Image: Crusty patches

Image: A baby with Cradle cap

Image: Redness around the baby's scalp

It might also happen that -
  • A newborn may have crusty patches or scales on the scalp.
  • This is known as Cradle cap.
  • There can be some redness around these patches or the scales.

Image: A baby with Cradle cap

Image: Redness around the scalp

Image: Baby oil

Note that -
  • There is nothing to worry about Cradle cap.
  • It will go away on its own and does not need to be treated.
  • Baby oil may help soften the scales.

Image: Applying oil on the baby's scalp

Image: Applying excess of oil on the baby's scalp with the Red cross mark

  • When applying the oil, rub only small amount into the scales.
  • Too much oil may worsen the condition.

Image: Baby Shampoo

GIF: Clock animation

Image: A baby with cradle cap

Image: Shampooing

Image: Brushing out the scales

Image: Pulling the scales with the Red cross mark

  • Then, wash the baby's hair with a mild tear-free baby shampoo within an hour or two.
  • After that, gently brush out the scales an hour later to avoid more build-up.
  • Never pull the scales as it leads to the sore scalp and further infection.
Acknowledgement slide This brings us to the end of this tutorial on How to bathe a newborn.

Thanks for joining

Contributors and Content Editors

Bellatony911, Rajani st