But now this is the first thing that is done after the control slap on the baby’s bottom.
Those who have already visited the hospital, and not on an excursion, but for the intended purpose, know how it happens: the child was born, screamed, he was put on the mother’s breast for a couple of minutes, and then taken away – to weigh, measure, wash. They will return only later, when mom is transferred from the delivery room to the ward. However, experts now argue that it is time to break this course of action. According to scientists, you need to wait a day, or even more, before bathing your baby for the first time.
“It’s important to understand that babies are not born dirty,” explains Dr. Ira Jeffe, a gynecologist. – They are born exactly in the form in which they should.
Babies are born covered in a white wax-like substance. Here obstetricians are in a hurry to wash it off, and the sooner the better. But now there is evidence that this substance – the original lubricant – is much more useful to leave on the child’s skin for at least a few hours.
Research on this matter began in 2004. The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published an article then, which says that the original lubricant softens and at the same time protects the baby’s skin and immunity, because newborns breathe with almost their entire body. In addition, this white wax contains antimicrobial agents that protect the baby from bacteria and fungi. Subsequent studies have shown that these substances are able to resist even pneumonia and meningitis.
Therefore, in the West, doctors have already begun to incline to the idea that it is not necessary to bathe a child right away. And it is worth leaving him with his mother – skin to skin. So, according to doctors, the baby feels safe, it reduces postpartum stress.
“There is nothing better for a child than contact with the mother’s body,” says Dr. Jaffe. – When the baby is taken away from the mother and carried to bathe, it lowers his body temperature. While the mother’s body helps the newborn to maintain the correct temperature.
However, there are no uniform generally accepted norms as to when it is worth bathing a child. Doctors hope that now the practice of “delayed washing” will be wider, because more and more women will learn about its benefits. Moreover, the World Health Organization also joined the recommendations not to wash the baby at least a day after birth.