If you are a new parent, it is essential that you are aware of the dangers that can present themselves when bathing your baby. This is because every year there are hundreds of babies who suffer injuries from scalding and drowning in their bath water. It only takes an inch of water to drown a baby and you should never leave your baby alone in the bath even for an instant.

Problems can happen faster than many parents could imagine. Therefore, it is vital that you read up the necessary information on how to ensure the safety of your baby when you are giving him/her a bath.

It is not suitable to leave a baby under the guidance of another child as most children wouldn’t know what to do in the event of an accident and death or injury can happen before it’s too late for your assistance.

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By being well organized there should be no reason for you to leave your baby unattended as you will have all the necessary soaps, towels and other necessities on hand at all times.

If there are other distractions such as the telephone or the door bell, leave them be as your baby is far more important than anything else. If there is no alternative then take your baby out of the bath and attend to whatever else is requiring your attention and then you can safely put baby back in the bath once you have dealt with the problem.

Make sure you have the bath at the correct temperature before your baby enters the water and keep it well away from the faucets as the hot tap can retain enough heat after the water has stopped running to scald your baby’s sensitive skin.

The water should be lukewarm and not at a temperature that will cause discomfort as babies won’t be able to withstand the types of temperatures that adults feel comfortable with.

Bathing should always be done with the baby in the seated position as standing will allow the child to fall over and cause injury when the head or other parts of the body come into contact with the hard surface of the bath. Baths are often slippery and a baby or young child will be unsteady on their feet even after they have started walking. A rubber bath mat will help to stop your baby from slipping over.

You will need no more than a few inches of water for your baby to sit in while you are bathing it. Don’t let your baby sit in water that has shampoo or cleaner in it for extended times as this can cause skin ailments and irritations.

Be aware that the water settings that most household water heaters are set at are enough to give a baby third degree burns within seconds. That is one of the reasons why you should never have your baby in a bath when the water is running.

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