Okay, that post title is a little misleading, but as it turns out,
washing babies a ton may not be so good for their sensitive little skin. More than twice as many babies have skin problems as did a generation ago, and part of this may be due to our over-zealous scrubbing of their little bodies. Ellen Dalrymple, editor of
Mother and Baby magazine, says in a lovely turn of phrase, "'It is not a good idea to bath baby every day, two or three times a week is plenty with the odd top and tail in between.'" Hey, I'm happy for any excuse not to have to deal with yet another baby chore. I can't wait for the study that says a once-a-month
bath is good. And if you have a newborn, how often do you actually shower yourself? Not every day, I bet.
The other issue with all the rub-a-dub is that we use more chemicals on our kids now, what with special soaps and antiseptic wipes. But if you need to get your OCD out somewhere, go the sun protection route. Only a third of parents in this survey made sure their kids wore sunscreen regularly. Now, I believe you are supposed to use "chemical free" sunscreen on infants, like titanium oxide or zinc oxide, which provides a physical barrier against rays. And a hat with a brim. Perhaps this monstrosity could have some use after all.
