Effect of Less Frequent Bathing on Premature Infant Skin

Effect of Trunk‐to‐Head Bathing on Physiological Responses in Newborns

“…Keeping newborns warm and dry, using radiant warmers in the nursery, limiting air drafts, warming objects that come in contact with them, placing hats on a well‐dried head, and swaddling them with warm blankets help to reduce heat loss (Medves & O'Brien, ). Previous authors investigating newborn bathing examined appropriate timing for the first bath (Behring et al., ; Nako et al., ; Penny‐MacGillivray, ; Varda & Behnke, ) and the effect of tub bath compared to sponge bath among preterm infants, late preterm infants, and full‐term, healthy newborns (Bryanton, Walsh, Barrett, & Gaudet, ; Loring et al., ; Quinn, Newton, & Piecuch, ). Healthy, full‐term newborns with stable body temperatures can be bathed after one hour when appropriate care is taken to support thermal stability (Varda & Behnke, ), and an early bath for healthy full‐term newborns does not negatively affect temperature stability (Behring et al., ; Nako et al., ).…”

Update on Newborn Bathing

“…5 Premature infants bathed every two to four days had no difference in skin flora or colony counts. 6 Another study of premature infants showed that bathing with cleansers or water reduced colonization for only a brief time. 7 In addition to hygiene, the initial bath of the baby also removes blood and body fluids which could contaminate health care workers or others in contact with the baby.…”

Prevenção e cuidados com a pele da criança e do recém-nascido

“…11.70 Premature infants should be bathed every 4 days. 71 The water temperature should be close to body temperature (37 -37.5 ° C). 11.62, 72 However, some authors recommend a slightly lower temperature, corresponding to the temperature of the skin (34-36 °C ).…”