Paediatric expert explains how often you should be bathing your children

As any parent will attest, convincing the little ones to take a bath can be a battle of wits. But the question remains: how often should children actually be bathed?

The guidelines for keeping kids clean vary significantly as they grow from infants to teenagers, and it turns out that parents might be bathing their children more than necessary.

Paediatric expert Dr Sam Hay has shared some essential insights on bath time routines for children of all ages.

For newborns, contrary to popular belief, there's no medical need to bathe them every day. Speaking to Kidspot, Dr Hay advised: "Every 2-3 days is more than often enough."

He emphasises the importance of using mild bath oils instead of harsh soaps to protect a baby's sensitive skin and recommends gentle washing. "Don't over-scrub either," Dr Hay cautions. "To a baby's bum, that washcloth can feel like sandpaper!"

When children reach school age, daily baths may seem necessary, especially for the more active ones. "The stinky ones will definitely require it! " says Dr Hay with a chuckle, but he maintains that from a health perspective, bathing every 2-3 days is still adequate.

Teenagers, dealing with hormonal changes and increased sweat and oil production, will generally need to bathe every day. Dr Hay points out, "Their skin is constantly dirty, plus challenges like acne kick in," making regular washing essential during these years.

But it's crucial to use gentle, non-soap washes to care for their fragile, spot-prone complexions. While bathing provides vital cleansing benefits, overdoing it can actually damage the skin.

"The skin is a delicate organ," Dr Hay cautions. "Bathe too much, and you'll strip away the moisturising oils, leading to dryness, itchiness and even