Hi, Heather,
I can't speak for every hospital in the USA, of course, but I think baby
baths are pretty standard here. HIV/AIDS is the reason. The nurses wear
gloves while providing care and assessing the baby until this bath is given.
One of the reasons babies get separated from their moms for so long in the
central nursery method of care. After "bonding" with mom and dad, and
perhaps breastfeeding if they have the right L&D nurse, the baby is brought
to the admission nursery for eye ointment, Vitamin K injection, assessment of
physical health and gestational age, blood sugars if the poor child has the
misfortune of being over 8 1/2 pounds, et cetera. Baby resides in crib under
radiant warmer for at least 2 hours. Dad can visit, but mom will still be in
L&D. The bath isn't done until the babies temp is greater than 98 degrees F.
axillary. After the bath, the temp then has to return to 98 before the baby
can go out to the mother's room.
My hospital has a thriving lactation program and thinks it is baby-friendly
(has even applied for a letter of intent). However, the maternity ward has
just been renovated, all private rooms with private baths and showers,
decorated in beiges and hunter green. Looks like a Hilton. It also has 3
huge nurseries (not including the NICU). Guess who paid for the
architectural design? They never consulted the LCs!
I KNOW that the HIV virus only survives for a few seconds in room air, and
certainly that blood is not a problem once it has dried, but you're not going
to easily persuade our staff to change this practice. I'm just working to
get rid of the central nursery, have the L&D staff bathe the baby, and keep
mom and babe together.
Just the reality I face every day :-)
Kim
Kim Block RN, MSN, IBCLC
Westfield, NJ
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