Is it possible to bathe a child at a temperature?

The appearance of the baby in the family is, above all, a great joy for his parents. Young dad and mom, as a rule, strive to surround their firstborn with love and care. At such a tender age, it is very important to monitor the baby’s food, walk with him daily on the street, and also ensure his hygiene. Perhaps the most fun and enjoyable procedure, including for moms and dads, is bathing your baby. As a rule, children are bathed every day, because at an early age, this procedure helps the child to relax, improves his sleep and increases his appetite. However, in connection with bathing, parents often have many questions. For example, is it possible to bathe a baby if he is unwell, especially if he has a fever.

Our mothers and grandmothers got used to the fact that it was impossible to bathe children during the period of illness, because in Soviet times pediatricians said just that.Previously, if there were at least mild symptoms of a feverish state, the child could not be lowered into the water. For this reason, today many grandmothers are guided by the same principle. However, modern pediatricians are not so categorical, and some of them do not agree with this point of view.

It should be noted that the conviction regarding the harm of bathing was formed mainly due to the very uncomfortable living conditions and bathing in the Soviet period. At that time, the child was bathed in either a bath or in metal basins in the apartments. After bathing in this way, the child could easily fall under the draft and get sick even more. Therefore, most modern doctors argue that you first need to find out the cause of the high temperature, and afterwards decide the issue of bathing.

What are the causes of high fever in babies?

In most cases, the temperature increase in young children is due to viral, bacterial or infectious effects on the body. In addition, hyperthermia may occur due to overheating of the body, which is more often observed in the summer. In addition to these factors, there are a large number of reasons that can cause hyperthermia:

• allergic reactions of the body;
• teething of milk teeth;
• severe fluid loss due to impaired digestive tract function;
• severe stress in the baby, overstrain;
• endocrine disruption;
• autoimmune pathologies;
• reaction to vaccinations.

Before you start bathing your baby, you need to assess his health, as well as measure the temperature. It is best to first consult with a specialist,so as not to harm the child and make it worse.

When should I refrain from swimming?

There are some situations in which water procedures for a child are prohibited. The first is the presence of heat above 37.8 degrees. In this case, the body is actively fighting the disease, and therefore, and produces heat. The first sign of fever is chills. In this case, the temperature starts to rise in the area of ​​internal organs, but on the skin becomes less.

Many parents think that if you put the child in warm water, it will become warmer and he will not feel the chills. However, such an opinion is erroneous. Within a few minutes, heat in the body will be redistributed. As the blood begins to flow to the skin, it will warm up, but other parts of the body may be left without the necessary heat. As a result, the body has to work hard to warm all parts of the body, and therefore, an increase in the load on the heart and other internal organs occurs. The body is distracted from the fight against alien cells and spends energy on other tasks.

Bathing does not carry any useful and therapeutic properties, and is only a hygienic procedure. Another danger of bathing is that a child can freeze or get caught in a draft when it comes out of warm water. This can worsen the health of the baby, and hypothermia generally has a negative effect on the immune system.

It is also forbidden to bathe a baby if he is diagnosed with otitis media - inflammatory processes in the ear sections. In this case, water is especially dangerous to enter the ear canal. Such a procedure can cause very serious complications.

It is not recommended to wash your baby if he has skin rashes in the form of sores and other lesions. If water gets on them, the crusts can soak them, which will slow down the healing process, and, moreover, can cause pain in a child.

Many pediatricians today also do not recommend bathing a baby for two days after the vaccination procedure. The body of the child is not yet accustomed to the introduction of the vaccine, and bathing will create an undue burden on his immunity, after which the baby can really get sick.

And, of course, you should carefully monitor the condition of your baby. If even at a low temperature, the child feels bad and begins to act up, then it is better to postpone bathing.

When can I wash my baby?

If the baby has a high temperature, and he gets dirty and bathing is a must, you should replace this procedure with a wipe with wet wipes. Fully bathe the child only if the body temperature does not exceed 37.8 degrees, however, and here the bathing should not last long.

Video: you can bathe the child during illness?