Beyond Bubbles: A Guide to Safe and Enjoyable Bathtime

January is Bath Safety Awareness Month!

While bathing infants and young children is a common activity, it is always good to review safety principles periodically, especially as new information arises. The following items are essential parts of bath safety for infants and young children (they are also critical for the elderly who might be part of your household). 

1. Hot water heaters should be set to 120 degrees F or 38 degrees C to reduce the chance of accidental scalding. While infants can’t turn on faucets, toddlers and preschoolers can, so even if caregivers provide the correct bath temperature, accidents can still happen. 
2. The water depth should only be a few inches, enough to reach just below the child’s belly button is plenty.
3. Have all the bath items present in the room before bringing the child in—NEVER leave the infant or young child alone in a bath. Drownings can occur in only a few inches of water. 
4. Always keep one hand on the child while in the tub. This helps steady the younger babies who are just beginning to sit and reach for things and provides a sense of security for those that are hesitant about baths or water in general. 
5. Attention needs to be focused on the baby or child in the tub. This is a great time to have fun with your child by singing songs or nursery rhymes, making a game out of naming body parts as you wash them. Pleasant activities during bath times help make the process go more smoothly. 
6. An extension of #5 is Stay Off Your Phone during bath time. Bring it with you in case of emergency, but don’t talk or text until after your child is safely out and dressed. The amount of time available to spend with children each day is very limited for working parents and especially so when the children are very young. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

1.  Newborn infants should receive a sponge bath until the umbilical cord has dried and dropped off. Gently wiping the baby’s body with a clean warm washcloth, patting dry, and dressing is enough for the very young infant. Some experts recommend using a baby tub until the infant can sit up well on their own. 
2. The skin of infants and young children is more delicate and susceptible to injury than that of older children and adults. Unless an infant has a major “blowout”, daily baths are not necessary in the first few months of life. In harsh weather, daily baths can strip protective oils from a baby’s skin.  
3. At what age should children bathe alone? While this depends on the family’s culture to a degree, in the USA, the consensus seems to be that around early school age is the typical time this starts. Children begin to develop more self-awareness, notice more differences from others, and become self-conscious. Parents who are “tuned in” to their children’s feelings and communicate easily with them, can ask the children’s preferences.  However, parents still need to be close by, ideally in the next room with the door ajar to hear the child. Conversations can still occur and the child knows the parent is still readily available. 

CONCLUSION
No one size fits all families; individual circumstances, cultural practices, and environmental limitations all affect the day-to-day activities of each family.  As long as these practices promote healthy physical, emotional, and psychological development of each child, no one needs to worry.