There is a popular belief that swimming in an ice-hole at Epiphany promotes healing from many diseases. That is why many mothers begin to think about whether to bathe in icy water and their often ill baby? What if all the sores disappear in an instant? On the other hand, it’s scary to approach the ice-hole at Epiphany, let alone plunge a child into it. We decided to find out at what age it can be done, how to prepare for this, and whether it is necessary to plunge into the hole at all?
The fact that adults dive into the ice-hole unprepared during Epiphany is already a great health risk, let alone children.
Doctors unequivocally assure that the child’s body is not adapted to bathing in cold weather, since the child’s thermoregulation is poorly developed. Prolonged exposure to water threatens hypothermia with further development of bronchitis, tonsillitis, meningitis and other diseases.
If you want to make a walrus out of a child, start hardening it. Gradually, but constantly!
The basic principle of hardening is consistency
How to temper a child correctly
- It is best to start hardening with air baths – these are the procedures that are most easily perceived by the body. Air baths are carried out at home, in summer you can do it outside. Better to start small, literally five minutes. Gradually, the duration of the air bath is brought to an hour. Babies should be naked while taking air baths, older children in panties.
- When we wait for summer, the time will come for the next hardening method – sunbathing. But do not expose your baby directly to the sun! So close to the burns. Start by walking in partial shade. And when the first tan appears, direct sunlight will not be scary. It is better to start the time spent in the sun with 10 minutes, gradually increasing it to half an hour. It is better to sunbathe from 10 to 11 in the morning or in the late afternoon.
- Water procedures start with rubdowns, and with dry ones. They rub the skin and redness with a terry mitten. After a week, they switch to wet rubdowns. The water temperature is 35 degrees. Reduce the temperature by one degree every five days. The next stage is douche. They start with water at a temperature of 36 degrees, gradually lowering it to 28 degrees. When dousing the feet, use water of contrasting temperatures: warm – cold – warm. The temperature of hot water is gradually brought to 40 degrees, and cold – up to 18.
Keep in mind that hardened children get sick too. During illness, it is better to refrain from hardening procedures. And after recovery, return to your program, but one step back. If the hardening was stopped for several weeks, then everything must be started from scratch. Although in this case, the addiction will go faster.
And now, if your child is already well hardened, is not afraid of cold water, only then can you try dipping into an ice hole. However, it is not recommended to do this before the age of 6.
Rules for dipping in an ice hole
– Feed your child a high-calorie food two hours before bathing.
– The child should have comfortable clothes that can be quickly removed and put on.
– Take with you a rug on which the child will stand while changing clothes.
– Run with your child before dipping to disperse the blood.
– The child should be in ice water for no more than 3 seconds.
– Quickly rub the baby with a towel and dress starting from the chest.
– Give the child hot tea.
And yet remember: many doctors believe that the child’s body is not yet prepared to withstand stress. Because of this, many babies who are dipped into an ice hole often have problems with the nervous system, stomach, intestines, and immunity does not increase, but decreases. Therefore, hardening of children is best done without extreme.