Your newborn doesn't need a bath every day. Australia's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby service says 2 to 3 times a week is enough, with a quick top-and-tail wash on the other days, and a daily bath is fine if your baby enjoys it. Use warm water of about 37–38°C, plain water for at least the first month, and keep one hand on your baby the whole time. The one rule that never bends: never leave your baby alone in the bath, even for a second.
How often should you bath a newborn?
Guidance from three countries lines up closely:
| Source | How often |
|---|---|
| Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australia) | 2 to 3 times a week; daily is fine if your baby enjoys it |
| NHS (UK) | Not every day needed; daily is fine if your baby enjoys it |
| AAP (US) | About 3 times a week in the first year may be enough; more can dry the skin |
The NHS guide to washing and bathing your baby suggests choosing a time when your baby is awake and content, not straight after a feed or when they are hungry or tired. Many families find the same time each day, morning or evening, makes bath time easier to remember.
Top-and-tail or a full bath?
A top-and-tail wash cleans the parts that need it most (face, neck, hands and diaper area) without undressing your baby fully. It suits the days between baths and the first week or two while the cord stump is still on. The AAP's HealthyChildren.org guide to bathing a newborn suggests sponge baths until the stump has fallen off and the area has healed. If your baby protests at their first full baths, the AAP says it's fine to go back to sponge baths for a week or two and try again.
How to top and tail your baby
Have a bowl of warm water, cotton wool, a towel, a clean diaper and clean clothes ready, and make sure the room is warm. These steps follow the NHS guide.
- Undress your baby down to their undershirt and diaper, and wrap them in a towel.
- Wipe each eye from the nose outwards, using a fresh piece of damp cotton wool for each eye.
- Clean around the outside of the ears only. Never put cotton buds inside your baby's ears.
- Wash the face, neck and hands with damp cotton wool, then pat dry.
- Take off the diaper and clean the bottom and genitals with fresh cotton wool and warm water. Dry well, including in the skin folds, and put on a clean diaper.
- Clean around the cord stump only if pee or poop has got on it, then pat it dry. See umbilical cord care.
What temperature should a baby's bath water be?
Warm, not hot. Australia's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests 37–38°C, checked with a bath thermometer or your wrist. Australia's Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne skin care guideline uses 37–37.5°C for a baby's first bath, in a room of 21–24°C.
- Run the cold water first, then add the hot, and mix it well to get rid of hot patches, as the NHS advises.
- Test with a thermometer, or with your wrist or elbow. Australia's Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne burns and scalds fact sheet says that if your wrist or elbow flushes red in the water, it is too hot.
- Never top up with hot water or run the tap while your baby is in the bath. The AAP says hot tap water is the leading cause of burns in babies and young children.
- Limit how hot your tap water can get. The AAP suggests keeping the hottest tap water at or below 49°C (120°F); the Royal Children's Hospital in Australia suggests limiting it so the bath can never get hotter than 50°C.
How do you bath a newborn step by step?
Get everything ready before you start, so you never need to step away: a baby bath or clean basin, two towels, a clean diaper, clean clothes and cotton wool.
- Fill the bath. Australia's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests about 10 to 13 cm of water; the AAP suggests about 5 cm (2 inches). Check the temperature.
- Wash the face first. With your baby on your knee, wipe their face and eyes with damp cotton wool.
- Wash the hair. Holding your baby over the bath, wet their hair with plain water. The Australian Pregnancy, Birth and Baby guide says shampoo isn't needed until your baby is older.
- Lower your baby in. Take off the diaper and wipe away any mess. Lower your baby in feet first, holding their upper arm with one hand while your forearm supports their head and shoulders.
- Wash gently. Keep your baby's head and face clear of the water. Use your free hand to wash the neck, body, skin folds, and then the genitals and bottom last. Pour warm water over their body so they don't get cold.
- Lift out and dry. Lift your baby straight onto a towel and pat them dry, paying attention to the creases under the arms, around the neck, behind the ears and in the diaper area.
- Dress them quickly so they stay warm, then empty the bath straight away.
Keep early baths short: Australia's Royal Children's Hospital nursing guideline keeps a baby's first bath to about 5 minutes. If your baby cries or seems frightened, the NHS suggests trying a bath together, with another adult to pass your baby to you and take them from you.
Do newborns need soap, baby wash or lotion?
Plain water is all most newborns need. The NHS guide to getting to know your newborn says it's best to bath your baby in plain water only for at least the first month, not to add cleansers to the bath water, and not to use skin lotions or medicated wipes. It also says the white coating some babies are born with (vernix) should be left on the skin, because it acts as a natural moisturiser.
After the early weeks, advice differs a little:
- NHS (UK): plain water, or a liquid cleanser suitable for babies; any massage oils or lotions should be suitable for babies.
- AAP (US): use soap sparingly, choose a mild, neutral-pH soap, rinse it off straight away, and apply a little fragrance-free moisturising lotion after the bath to help prevent dry skin.
- Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (Australia): use a gentle cleanser free of fragrance, essential oils and plant or food extracts, and apply an emollient (moisturiser) at the first sign of dryness, cracking or flaking.
If your baby was born premature, the NHS says neonatal unit staff will advise on skin care. For scaly patches on the scalp, see cradle cap. For a sore diaper area, see diaper rash.
How do you keep a baby safe in the bath?
- Stay within arm's reach, with a hand on your baby. The AAP says to keep a hand on your baby at all times.
- Don't rely on older children. The NHS says babies of any age need adult supervision in the bath.
- Skip bath seats. The NHS, citing RoSPA (the UK accident-prevention charity), and the AAP both advise against them, because they can tip or come away from the bath.
- No running water. Don't bath your baby under a running tap or use a tap sprayer, as the AAP advises.
- Empty the bath as soon as you finish.
- Never leave your baby on a change table or bench while you fetch something. The Australian Pregnancy, Birth and Baby guide lists this alongside the bath warning.
Can a bath be part of a bedtime routine?
Yes, if it suits your family. The NHS guide to helping your baby sleep lists having a bath, changing into night clothes and a fresh diaper, dimming the lights, and a cuddle or lullaby among the steps a bedtime routine might include. It doesn't have to be a nightly bath: on non-bath nights, a quick wash and the same calm sequence work too. Our bedtime routine guide has more ideas.
After the bath, follow the usual safe sleep basics from the NHS advice on reducing the risk of SIDS: put your baby on their back for every sleep, in their own crib or bassinet in your room for at least the first 6 months, on a firm, flat mattress with no pillows, bumpers, loose blankets or soft toys, in a smoke-free home. See safe sleep for the full checklist.
When should I ask about my baby's skin or bath time?
- Call 911 now if your baby has any trouble breathing after slipping under the water, is blue or gray, or is floppy or hard to wake, and follow the call-taker's instructions. Call 911 too for a severe burn, or a burn to the mouth or throat with any trouble breathing.
- For any scald, hold the area under cool running water straight away for 20 minutes, as the Royal Children's Hospital in Australia advises. Go to hospital for a burn on the face, hands or genitals, or a deep burn. See a doctor for a burn larger than 3 cm or one that blisters.
- Mention at your next check with your doctor or pediatrician if your baby's skin stays dry, cracked or red despite plain-water baths, or if a rash is spreading or not settling.
An infant first-aid course is a good way to feel ready for bath-time accidents.
