In home births, I understand babies usually aren't bathed sometimes
until the next day.  The only resason they are done so quickly in a
hospital is that Universal Precautions require gloving by any care giver
handling baby until after the first bath.  Babies seem to have much
softer skin and less "cracking" in the creases when bathing is delayed
and they get to absorb vernix and amnmiotic fluid from the skin.  Babies
needing immediate attention in NICU aren't bathed until stabilized-other
cares take precedence.  I have seen too many babies who were doing fine,
but after the bath can't keep their temperature stable and wind up under
a warmer.  The other scernario is the baby nurse saying something like,
"This baby should nurse great once this bath is over-lopok at how she is
rooting now."  Then, of course, they are wrapped in warm blankets after
the bath and immediately proceed to "zonk out" for sometimes many hours!
Perhaps the whole initial bath idea requires some rethinking.  Timing a
procedure/care based primarily on staff convenience isn't appropriate
when there are other reasons not to do it then.

Winnie

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