Jan, you make me laugh!

Jan wrote:
....from Australia was asked about this -- and her reply was something
> to the effect of:  "Of course, we mop their grotty little bums first!"
(Which
> is vintage Heather).  And as I recall, one of the hospitals (in Boston?)
is
> doing tub bathing for the babies while they are in house -- not waiting
until
> the cord falls off.

Getting off topic now I know but.....
I must comment that in the 14 years I have been a midwife (in Aust) I have
never heard of sponge bathing till the cord falls off!
We have not used alcohol, where I work, for years either (probably greater
than 10 years).
We bath the babies fully immersed, get the mother to clean around the base
with a cotton bud then dry it off with a dry cotton bud. No real fuss, just
needs to be kept clean. Occasionally they get a smelly or even a bit red
around the base, in which case we ask the mum to use alcohol or methylated
spirits to clean it up a bit.
I have never seen an *infected* one!
The cord falls off usually in the first week.

Funny how different practises exist!

Karen Clements IBCLC
Melb Aust

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