‘Don’t Bathe Babies With Cold Water, It’s Risky’ — Doctors Warn Parents

• Child health experts have advised parents to avoid bathing babies and young children with cold water during the rainy season, warning that it could lead to hypothermia and increase the risk of infections.

Child health experts have warned parents against bathing babies and young children with cold water during the rainy season, saying the practice could expose them to hypothermia and increase their vulnerability to infections.

The paediatricians stressed that keeping infants warm, particularly during bathing, is essential to protecting their health during periods of cold weather.

The warning comes as Nigeria experiences the peak of its rainy season, with lower temperatures recorded across many parts of the country, especially in the mornings and after heavy rainfall.

According to the experts, babies are particularly vulnerable because their bodies are not yet fully developed to regulate temperature effectively.

Speaking on the issue, the Head of Paediatrics at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, Dr. Abdurrazzaq Alege, explained that exposing babies to cold water in chilly conditions could lead to hypothermia.

“Babies lose heat faster than adults because their bodies are not yet developed enough to regulate temperature effectively. When exposed to cold water in a chilly environment, they can easily slip into hypothermia,” he said.

Alege, however, dismissed the common belief that cold water directly causes pneumonia.

“Cold weather or cold water does not cause pneumonia. Pneumonia is caused by viral or bacterial infections. What cold does is reduce the body’s resistance, making children more vulnerable to those infections,” he explained.

He added that children with underlying health conditions, including asthma and sickle cell disease, are more likely to experience complications from cold exposure.

The paediatrician advised parents to watch out for symptoms such as cough, catarrh and breathing difficulties after prolonged exposure to cold and recommended using a digital thermometer to monitor a child’s body temperature when necessary.

He also urged caregivers to adopt safer bathing practices by using lukewarm water, bathing children in a warm room, drying them immediately afterward and ensuring they are properly covered.

“Use lukewarm water, ensure the room is warm, and dry the baby immediately after bathing. Proper covering is also essential,” he advised.

Consultant paediatrician and child health advocate Dr. Ayodele Renner echoed the warning, noting that newborns have immature temperature regulation and can quickly become stressed when exposed to cold water.

He explained that when a child’s body temperature drops, the body uses more energy to generate heat, which can affect feeding, growth and overall wellbeing.

Renner also dismissed claims that bathing babies with cold water strengthens them.

“There is no scientific evidence to support that. Cold exposure only lowers resistance, making it easier for infections to occur,” he said.

The experts advised parents to always test bath water before use, keep baths brief and wrap babies immediately afterward to help maintain a healthy body temperature during the rainy season.