Effects of Underrunning Water Bathing and Immersion Tub Bathing on Vital Signs of Newborn Infants

Abstract

Background: Newborn infants are susceptible to hypothermia during bathing due to environmental conditions. Purpose: This study examined the effects of 2 common newborn bathing methods used in Turkey, underrunning water bathing (URWB) and immersion tub bathing (ITB), on infant heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation, and body temperature. Methods: In this randomized controlled study, 44 newborns were allocated to the ITB group and 36 newborns to the URWB group. Body temperature, HR, and oxygen saturation values of the newborns were compared between groups every hour during 4 hours before the bath to evaluate infants' vital sign stability. All measurements were compared at 10, 20, 40, and 60 minutes after the bath too. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in vital signs performed prior to bathing as compared with after bathing; however, changes in oxygen saturation at 20 minutes after the bath were significantly higher in the ITB group (P < .05). Conclusion: Although both bathing methods decreased overall infant body temperature, ITB positively affected newborn oxygen saturation and HR to a greater degree compared with URWB. Implications for Practice: ITB facilitated maintenance of oxygen saturation and HR during the bath and should be preferred for newborn infants to feel more relaxed. Implications for Research: These findings indicate a need for additional studies with larger sample sizes to further evaluate the effect of different bathing methods on newborn comfort.

Effect of newborn bathing training with the swaddled and tub bathing methods given to primiparous pregnant women on the mother's experience, satisfaction and newborn's stress during the first bathing of the newborn at home: A mixed method study

“…In our study, it was found that the body temperature of the SB group decreased less compared to the TB group in the post‐bath period compared to pre‐bath period; however, the difference between them was not statistically significant. In the study by Ar and Gözen (2018) on the effects of running water bathing and SB on vital signs of term newborns in the intensive care unit, it was reported that although the difference was not significant, the body temperature of the newborns in the SB group increased at the 20th minute and they got out of cold stress earlier compared with the other group. In the study by Edraki et al (2014) to compare the running water bathing and the SB methods in preterm newborns, it was reported that there was no significant difference between the post‐bath and pre‐bath body temperatures of the newborns in the SB group while a significant difference was observed between the post‐bath and pre‐bath body temperatures of the newborns in the running water bathing group.…”

“…These results suggested that SB was effective in the retaining of HR within the desired range with the further soothing of the newborn and accordingly on the increase in SpO2. When the literature was reviewed, it was observed that TB method performed by the nurses with term and preterm babies in the hospital environment was generally more effective in soothing the newborn compared to other bathing methods (Ar & Gözen, 2018; Bryanton et al, 2004; So et al, 2014). Furthermore, swaddling helped newborns to be more comfortable and stress‐free.…”

“…However, it was found that the mothers in the TB group were more worried about bad bathing experiences such as the newborn drowning, feeling afraid and crying. In the literature, there were many studies where different bathing methods were compared in preterm and term newborns in a hospital environment (Ar & Gözen, 2018; Çaka & Gözen, 2018; DeVall & Rubarth, 2014; Edraki et al, 2014; Fern et al, 2002; Quraishy et al, 2013).…”

“…When the results obtained as a result of the study were evaluated, the decrease in HR after bathing in newborns, the normal RR, and the increase in SpO2 are results confirming each other. In the study carried out by Ar and Gözen (2018), it was determined that swaddled TB positively affected HR and SpO2 values. In another study in which Çaka and Gözen (2018) examined the effects of two different bath methods on the physiological results of the newborns, a decrease in HR and an increase in SpO2 were observed in parallel with each other in the SB group.…”

The effect of delaying first bathing on skin barrier function in late preterm infants: A study protocol for multi‐centre, single‐blind RCT

“…The literature has investigated the effects of bathing type on body temperature (Anderson et al., 1995; Ar & Gözen, 2018; Loring et al., 2012; Penny‐MacGillivray, 1996; Tapia‐Rombo et al., 2003, 2012), crying time (Erdaki et al., 2014), stress or comfort (Bryanton et al., 2004; Taşdemir & Efe, 2019), and umbilical cord health (Ayyildiz et al., 2015). There are also studies on the effects of baby bathing products on infants (Cole & Brissette, 1999; Liaw et al., 2006; Lund et al., 2020).…”