THE EARLY BATHS
During the first week the baby is oiled daily over his entire body, with the exception that the cord dressing remains untouched. The face, hands, and buttocks are washed in warm water. After the third week the bathroom is thoroughly warmed and the small tub is filled with water at temperature of 100 F. The baby having been stripped and wrapped in a warm turkish towel, is placed on a table protected by a pillow, while the caretaker stands by and vaselines the creases of the neck, armpits, folds of the elbows, knees, thighs, wrists, and genitals; and then, with her own hands, she applies soap suds all over the body—every portion of which is more quickly and readily reached—than by the use of a wash cloth. And now, with the bath at 100 F., with a folded towel on the bottom of the small tub, the soapy child is placed into the water and after a thorough rinsing is lifted out again to a warm fresh towel on the table and the careful drying is quickly begun. After the bath all the folds and creases are given a light dusting with a good talcum.
During hot weather the bath should be given daily, soap being used twice a week. On the other days there should be the simple dipping of the child into the tub. During the cold weather the full bath is given but twice a week, while on the other days a sponge bath or an oil rub may be administered.
A weak, delicate child should not be exposed to the daily full bath, but rather the semi-weekly sponge bath and the daily oil rub should be administered. We have found the late afternoon hour to be better than the early morning hour for baby's bath. It requires too much vital resistance to react to an early morning bath, especially when the house is cool.