Hi,

I work as a nurse in OB and I think the main reason we bath babies now is
because of universal precautions. The guideline s is that  if it is warm
and wet and not yours, wear gloves to protect yourself.  Nurses will not
handle a baby without gloves until he has had his bath.  And we do not
really scrub-just a quick sponge bath.  Actually I would like to know if
this is really necessary or just done because we have always done it.
Any infectious disease specialists out there?

My own babies were spared even this because I took them home two hours
after birth and they never saw the inside of the nursery!

Jane