Bathing a child is one of the routine tasks that parents must master in baby care – and the sooner, the better! How to do it?

On the internet, you'll find many conflicting discussions about whether it's appropriate to bathe babies daily. The information can then be very confusing for you. Previously, this topic was not discussed at all, as we didn't see so many chronic skin problems in children in clinics (e.g., atopic eczema and allergies in general). However, if the baby's skin is affected by allergic inflammation (ongoing eczema), it is not desirable to wash this sensitive skin day after day and even soap it. With each bath, the skin's protective film (a lipid layer that retains moisture) is washed away, making the child's skin more susceptible. Therefore, bathe children with skin problems, for example, only twice a week, and also be careful about what you add to the bath (definitely do not choose any liquid or solid soaps or bath foams) – eczema sufferers must use special skin products. Also, don't forget the 3-minute rule, which means the bath lasts a maximum of 3 minutes, and you must moisturize the skin within 3 minutes. I would recommend consulting a dermatologist in the case of eczema. On the other hand, it is good for children to have an evening routine they are used to. Try to cultivate these habits from the moment you bring your baby home from the hospital, and then repeat them every evening. This helps children calm down and sleep better – they know what will follow. However, you must remember that every baby is different, so one baby might be beautifully tired and calmed by a bath before dinner, while another might be tearful and agitated, simply full of energy, after bathing. In the latter case, it is better to give dinner first, then bathe, and then put them to sleep immediately.

Babies are most often bathed in plastic baby bathtubs. Nowadays, you can find folding, travel or classic bathtubs on the market. Bathing buckets are very modern and are designed for the smallest children (they won't fit in them later). I personally don't recommend them much, because properly washing the baby is more problematic and usually only involves soaking them. It is important to consider the water temperature. You cannot bathe a baby in water as warm as adults bathe in. The optimal air temperature for bathing a baby is 22 to 24 °C (if the apartment is not yet heated, I recommend putting a space heater in the bathroom) and the water in the bathtub should be around the natural human body temperature, i.e., between 36 and 38 °C. A practical bath thermometer will help you control the water temperature. When washing, create your own system – start with the head and face, proceed through the torso and arms, bottom and intimate areas, down to the legs. Skin folds under the neck, around the thighs, etc., are very often forgotten. For girls, it is very important to properly wash the genital area – from the intimate parts towards the bottom. This prevents the possible transfer of bacteria from stool to the intimate areas, which can result in inflammation of the external genitalia or inflammation of the lower or upper urinary tract. Regarding the use of soaps and shampoos, I recommend washing babies with problem-free skin daily in clean water, and washing the bottom and more soiled body parts with baby soap or a washing oil. Once a week, also wash their hair with baby shampoo. The less fragrance the soap or shampoo has, the better. I recommend choosing non-toxic care.