Why Bathing Babies Twice A Day Is Dangerous

Mothers have been warned by health experts on the dangers of bathing their new born babies twice a day,  saying the practice exposes infants to cold, skin irritation, and avoidable health complications.

The physicians, who spoke with newsmen, said babies who spend most of their time indoors only need one bath daily, while preterm and low birth weight babies should not be bathed every day.

They added that a baby’s head should be washed only once a week to prevent excessive heat loss.

A Consultant Neonatologist, Dr. Fatima Abdullahi, explained that the traditional practice of frequent bathing and scrubbing is unnecessary and harmful because newborns have delicate, thin skin that is easily irritated.

“Bathing babies daily suffices for most babies. Preterm babies and babies that are very small, we don’t advocate bathing them every day, and when you are bathing them, you don’t bathe them for more than five to 10 minutes,” she told PUNCH.

Abdullahi noted that washing a baby’s head daily should be avoided because infants lose significant heat through the scalp.

“You don’t have to wash their head every day because they easily get cold from there and lose a lot of heat. When you wash their heads, it should be the last part, and it shouldn’t be done every day. It could be done maybe once a week,” she explained, adding that the hair must be dried properly afterward.

She warned that overbathing exposes babies to cold, saying, “After bathing, before you dry them up, they lose a lot of body heat. So, most times we say bathing babies once a day is okay.”

While some parents may give a second bath during extremely hot weather, Abdullahi stressed that the head should still not be washed and that the practice applies only to term babies with good weight.

She emphasised the importance of keeping infants warm, especially during cold weather.

“When the weather is cold, you don’t have to bathe them very early in the morning. You can let the place be a bit warm before bathing them.

“The prolonged traditional baths that require washing them five to seven times are not necessary.”

Abdullahi also advised parents to use mild soap and avoid harsh, mixed black soaps, noting that these products can irritate a baby’s tender skin.

She recommended simple petroleum jelly as the safest moisturiser. For preterm babies, she suggested daily cleaning with olive oil rather than bathing, saying some can go up to a month without a bath “and nothing will happen to them.”

She dismissed the widespread belief that babies who are not bathed frequently will develop body odour when they grow older.

“The misconception that people who are not given a bath have body odour when they grow is wrong. It is not scientifically proven,” she said.

The neonatologist further advised against bathing newborns immediately after delivery and warned against scrubbing off the vernix caseosa—the whitish coating on a newborn’s skin.

“It is very useful and helps them maintain their temperature for the first few hours of life. There is no need to rush to bathe babies immediately after they’re born,” she said.

A Consultant Dermatologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Folakemi Cole-Adeife, also cautioned against overbathing and overwrapping babies, describing both practices as major contributors to heat rash and diaper rash in infants.

“Avoid over-bathing babies. They should bathe once every day. They don’t need to bathe twice a day with a heavy sponge,” she said.

Cole-Adeife advised parents to keep babies dressed in light clothing and well moisturised, particularly in hot environments.

“We don’t need those heavy blankets and shawls that a lot of moms wrap their babies in. It just gives them a heat rash… the treatment should just be to allow the baby’s skin to breathe,” she said.