Performing an infant’s bath is a nursing procedure aimed at promoting hygiene, skin integrity, and comfort for newborns and infants. This procedure involves carefully cleansing the infant’s body while maintaining safety, warmth, and proper handling. Bathing also allows the nurse to assess the infant’s skin, general condition, and response to care.

Bathing an infant requires attention to detail and gentle handling to avoid hypothermia, injury, or infection, while ensuring that all areas, including delicate regions such as the eyes, ears, and genitalia, are cleaned safely.

Intradermal Injection

Why is this procedure performed?

  • To maintain the infant’s cleanliness and promote skin integrity.
  • To prevent infection, irritation, or rashes.
  • To provide comfort and relaxation to the infant.
  • To allow assessment of the infant’s skin, temperature, and overall health.
  • To encourage bonding between caregiver and infant.

Materials Needed

  • Warm water (testable by touch)
  • Washbasin or infant bathtub
  • Washcloths
  • Dry towels or bath blanket
  • Hypoallergenic soap or mild infant cleanser
  • Clean clothes
  • Non-sterile gloves
  • Thermometer
  • Cotton balls

Assessment

  1. Determine infants’ temperature

Planning

  1. Wash your hands.
  2. Gather materials needed
  3. Test the temperature of the water using your elbow or inner wrist.

Implementation

  1. Place towel, laid out in diamond fashion, on table top next to basin.
    2. Intradermal Injection
  2. Wear gloves.
  3. Remove all clothing except shirt and diaper.
  4. Wipe the eyes using a cotton ball moistened with water, starting from inner to outer canthus. Use new cotton ball for each eye.
    5. Intradermal Injection
  5. Dip washcloth. Make a mitt and wash the face, ears and neck. Dry all areas thoroughly.
  6. Hold infant on one arm (football hold) over the tub and wet hair.
  7. Soap own hands and lather to hair and scalp using gentle circular motion. Splash water against head to rinse off.
    8. Intradermal Injection
  8. Place infant on towel and dry the head using the corners of the towel.
  9. Undress the infant. Wet upper extremities, front, back, buttocks and legs using wash cloth. Apply soap and lather.
  10. Pick up infant and slowly lower him into the bath tub to rinse off.
  11. Support the baby while lifting him from the tub, by placing your hand and arm around the infant, cradling his head and neck in your elbow. Grasp his thigh with the other hand.
  12. Dry infant’s body gently but thoroughly.
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  13. For a female infant, separate labia and with a cotton ball moistened with soap and water, cleanse downward one on each side. Use a new piece of cotton ball on each side.
  14. For a male infant, retract foreskin and gently cleanse penis with a cotton ball moistened with soap and water.
  15. Remove gloves and discard.
  16. Re-dress infant and hold infant for a period of time following the bath procedure.

Evaluation

  • Re-assess the infant’s temperature.
  • Assess infant’s response to the procedure.

Documentation

  • Document the time, procedure, and observations.