Health experts are begging Nigerian parents to calm down with the morning-and-night scrubbing they give their newborns.
According to seasoned child health specialists, most babies only need one bath a day, especially those who stay indoors. Anything more than that? You’re exposing them to cold, heat loss, and unnecessary skin problems, Punch reported.
Doctors say the popular Nigerian belief that “if you don’t scrub a baby well, they’ll have body odour when they grow” is completely false.
A Consultant Neonatologist, Dr Fatima Abdullahi, explained that preterm and low-birth-weight babies should not even be bathed daily. In fact, their heads shouldn’t be washed every day because they lose heat easily.
She said babies should be bathed for just 5–10 minutes, not the traditional “wash them five to seven times” routine many grandmas insist on.
According to her:
“Bathing babies every day is okay for full-term babies. But we don’t advocate daily baths for preterm babies. And you don’t wash their heads every day; once a week is enough.”
Dr Abdullahi stressed that overbathing makes babies lose body heat quickly — especially before they’re properly dried.
And when the weather is cold?
Don’t bathe them early in the morning. Wait till the room is warm enough.
She also warned parents about harsh products. Forget all the mixed black soaps and miracle lotions — mild soap and ordinary Vaseline are enough.
For preterm babies, she said mothers can skip bathing entirely for weeks and clean the baby gently with olive oil until they’re stronger.
She also warned new mums not to rush and scrub off the white coating (vernix caseosa) on newborns. It helps them regulate their temperature. But some people still use detergent, ash, and everything imaginable to scrape it off.
A Dermatologist at LASUTH, Dr Folakemi Cole-Adeife, also joined the conversation — and she did not mince words.
She warned that overbathing and overwrapping babies are major causes of heat rashes, diaper rashes, and other common skin issues.
Her advice?
One bath a day. No heavy sponge. No cocooning babies in thick shawls like they’re going to Antarctica.
She said babies who stay indoors mostly need simple moisturisers and light clothing — not layers upon layers of heat-trapping fabric.
On diaper care, she reminded parents to change diapers frequently to prevent rashes. And when choosing skincare products, she recommended gentle ones containing ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, shea butter, or coconut oil.
Both doctors emphasised one thing:
If your baby has a skin issue, stop mixing creams at home. See a doctor.
