The first aim of the bath may be cleanliness, but in fact it plays more than one role in the child's daily life.
It is the interval in which his little body is set free from the bonds of heavy clothing, so that he frolics and plays without constraint; he is the pampered sultan — a sweet voice caresses his ear, and a soft,
tender hand tickles him, passing gently over his supple body and drawing him toward contented sleep!
The bath, besides all this, helps the parents to be sure of their child's health and the soundness of his body.
Do not hurry your child's bath; rather, finish all your housework and keep an ample corner of time for it.
It is not necessary to do this in the morning: the late period before noon, or after it, is preferable to all other times and prepares the child for a pleasant, restful sleep.
Set a regular time for the bath and do not go beyond it, and let it be in a room whose temperature ranges between 75 and 80 degrees centigrade. Make certain to block any opening through which a draft might pass, and to bring all the bath necessities. There is another point to which I would call your attention: beware of leaving the child during the bath to do some chore or to answer a sudden call.
The equipment needed for the bath
Gather around you everything the business of your child's bath requires, all of it to be kept clean and well ordered. These are the necessities:
1 - Mild, pure soap. 2 - A roll of sterilized cotton. 3 - A box
containing pins of various sizes. 4 - A vessel of boiled water for washing the child's eyes. 5 - Baby powder (avoid using powder containing zinc, which harms the child's organs of breathing). 6 - Three towels (one small and two for the bath). 7 - The child's clean clothes. 8 - A bathtub. 9 - A pitcher for hot water.
Choose a place of moderate height, suited to the way you stand while performing this task. There is no need to remind you to take off your rings and cover the buttons of your jacket lest they scratch your baby's tender body; trim your nails well, and do not forget to put something like a mask over your nose and mouth if you have a cold.
There — your necessities are ready, and you are off to wake your child. Here, take care not to put him in a dangerous place while you make up his cradle and open the windows to air his room. You are now fully prepared for the bath, with all your thought fixed upon your work; avoid every outside disturbance, calm your nerves, and feel settled and at ease.
The sponge bath
Here are elementary steps that will guide you, without great effort, in how to conduct the bath. Place the vessel of boiled water in the hot water, and let the temperature of the water in the tub be between (100–110), since the child will not be immersed in it; and let the pitcher of cold water be within reach of your hand, along with the towels and everything you need. Lay the child on a soft towel — during this interval he may be given orange juice or sterilized water — then remove his outer clothes and begin the bath, supporting his head with your left hand. With a piece of cotton moistened in the boiled water, wipe his eyes gently; and with cotton dabbed in pure oil, clean the nostrils without hurting the nasal passages; likewise clean the hollows of the ears from the outside, avoiding any entry into the inside of the ear. With a piece of soft cloth moistened with lukewarm water, without soap, wipe the child's face, then dry it; there is no need to clean the mouth. Now proceed to wash his head with soap, letting the water pour off backward so that it does not enter the eyes. This is a suitable time to give him fish oil or vitamin D.
Clean the lower regions of your child's body with cotton and wipe them with oil before you wrap
the clean "diaper" around him, examining his skin carefully to see whether there are any spots needing special care.
Feel the water again, for you may