Cuddle bathing: an alternative in newborn bathing

The purpose of this investigation was to facilitate mother-infant interaction by altering the bathing procedure so that it was less stressful for both the mother and her newborn. It was hypothesized that an infant will exhibit less distressed behavior during a cuddle bath (wrapped, warm, moist towel technique) than during a traditional sponge bath as measured by over-all excitation state. In addition, it was hypothesized that a mother will have more interaction with her infant during a cuddle bath than during a traditional sponge bath because of reduced distressful infant behavior. The sample consisted of 20 mother-infant pairs who had delivered in Salt Lake City hospitals. Each infant was alternately assigned to received either a traditional or cuddle bath on the third or fourth day of life in the home. They then received the other bath on the next day. Their behavior was continuously recorded by an observer according to over-all excitation score. Likewise, the mother's interactive behavior was scored every 15 seconds. The data indicated that more time was spent in the quiet states of 1 and 2 during the cuddle bath than during the traditional bath. They also showed that more time was spent in the distressed states 4, 5, and 6 during the traditional bath than during the cuddle bath. However, when these data were subjected to paired t-test analysis, there was significance only for state 2. There was no significant difference in the mother' interactive behavior during each of the baths. It was concluded that the cuddle bath is capable of producing quiet and stable states in the newborn. This alert inactivity will allow the infant to have meaningful contacts with the environment. Thus, the cuddle bath is a more positive alternative in newborn bathing.