Table 5 Quantitative and qualitative findings on the timing of first bath by country
Country | Percent bathed within 6Â h of birth | Main reasons for early bathing |
|---|---|---|
Ethiopia | 66% within 6Â h [19, 31]: 81% for home and 58% for facility births [31] | Clean the baby, remove odor and make the baby stronger [10] |
Ghana | 82%: 93% for home and 77% for facility births [11] | Stop body odor later in life [11, 25], shape head, make the baby feel clean, help the baby sleep [11] |
Malawi | 25% within 6Â h [32] 52% within 24Â h [22] | Remove dirt and smells [14, 16], make the baby beautiful [14], refresh the baby and help sleep [16], remove vernix (linked with sperm) [16, 37] |
Mali | 78% [29] | No information |
Senegal | No information | Remove blood, sperm and impurities, make baby comfy, stop body odor later in life, stop baby getting sick [26] |
Sierra Leone | 53% of facilities routinely bathe the baby within 24Â h (health facility survey) [33] | No information |
Tanzania | 59% [21] | Remove the dirt and vernix (linked with sperm) [27], make baby strong and help baby to cry [36] |
Uganda | 56% [24] | Remove dirt and odor [30, 34, 35], make healthy and hygienic [18], make baby comfy [34], remove vernix (linked to sex) [30], make baby clean for visitors [34] |