Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T04:36:03.075Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Hygiene for the newborn – to bath or to wash?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

A.-M. Hylén ,
E. Karlsson ,
L. Svanberg  and
M. Walder
A.-M. Hylén
Affiliation:
Malmö General Hospital and Malmö City School of Nursing, Sweden
E. Karlsson
Affiliation:
Malmö General Hospital and Malmö City School of Nursing, Sweden
L. Svanberg
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sweden
M. Walder
Affiliation:
Medical Microbiology, Sweden
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Appropriate skin care of newborns is performed partly to prevent infection but also for aesthetic and cleansing purposes. Skin care should involve cleansing with a non-toxic, non-abrasive neutral material. This study compared the relative risks and benefits of washing versus bathing with regard to bacterial colonization rate, clinical infection rate, body temperature and crying. The results confirm our clinical impression that bathing and washing routines do not differ with regard to signs of infection or other clinical complications. However, the washing routine does increase the babies heat loss and make them less comfortable.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 91 , Issue 3 , December 1983 , pp. 529 - 534
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

References

REFERENCES

American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Fetus and Newborn (1974). Skin care of newborns. Pediatrics 54, 682–683.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowan, S. T. & Steel, K. J. (1974). Manual for the Identification of Medical Bacteria, 2nd edn.University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Emmerson, A.M. & Jenner, E. A. (eds.) (1978). Infection Control Manual. Catnden and Islington Area Health Authority, Islington District, London, England.Google Scholar
Gästrin, B., Kallings, L. O. & Marcetic, A. (1968). The survival time for different bacteria in various transport media. Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica Scandinavica 74, 371–380.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henningsson, A., Nyström, B. & Tunell, R. (1981). Bathing or washing babies after birth? Lancet ii, 1401–1403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lagercrantz, R. & Nyström, B. (1978). In Perinatal Medicin (ed. Gents, J. et al. ). Stockholm: AWE/Gebers.Google Scholar
Lenoyer, F. (1974). Pour une naissance sans violence. Paris: du Seuil.Google Scholar