• Choose a location for the bath without drafts, during the warmest part of the day.
• Have all necessary items ready in advance and close at hand: towel, soap, clothes, diaper, blanket.
• Bathe daily or more than once a day, if necessary (if the newborn is restless, crying, hot, feverish...).
• Do not use alcohol in bath water; it dries the skin and irritates the mucous membranes. and it is dangerous.
• Do not use lotions, perfumes, talcum powder, or ointments.
• Dry skinfolds thoroughly.
• Use appropriate clothing for the temperature. Do not restrict the arms or legs, since babies do not like and need to move.
• The baby may feel insecure and cry. Talk to the infant, since the bath is a moment of interaction between mother and child and should be pleasant for both.
• Put the water in the bathtub, testing the temperature with the forearm.
• If the infant has urinated or defecated, clean the child before the bath.
• Place the infant in the bathtub and begin washing, moving from the head to the feet.
• First wash the face, using only water. Wash the area of the eyes gently (from the inner corner to the outer corner), and dry with a towel.
• Using the middle fingers and thumb of your hand, cover the infant’s ears, and with the other hand moisten the head, washing it with shampoo or soap. Rinse and dry.
• Place the baby gently in the bathtub, always holding the child.
• Rotate the baby and support it with your arm while you wash its back.
• For the female genital area, cleaning should be from the vagina toward the anus.
