Parents have different
opinions about visiting a sauna with their children. Some mothers and fathers
like saunas with babies, others do not even allow schoolchildren to take
procedures. At what age can children go to the bathhouse and what rules should
be followed? To answer this question, you need to individually assess the
health status of the baby, weigh the pros and cons, consult a doctor - and only
then make a decision.
At what age can a child be accustomed to a bath?
Experts do not recommend starting training in bathing procedures in infancy. The child will be ready to visit the bath only after 2.5-3 years. It is important to provide not only physical, but also psychological comfort for the baby so that bath procedures do not become stressful for him. A visit to the bath is contraindicated in children in such cases:
• in the acute period of the development of
viral, inflammatory diseases;
• at
elevated body temperature;
• for
diseases of the nervous system, vascular pathologies;
• with the
development of skin inflammation and allergic reactions;
• for
chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
How to prepare your child for a sauna?
First of all, you should consult a pediatrician and, if necessary, take tests. If the doctor does not prohibit visiting the bath, you need to go through the preparatory stage: organize a mini-steam room at home with gentle conditions, periodically introduce the baby to a specific microclimate, and make contrasting dousing. At the first stage, the temperature difference should not exceed 3-5 degrees, gradually this interval should be increased. The first visits to the "adult" steam room should last only a couple of minutes with an interval of a quarter of an hour. Next, you need to evaluate the well-being of the child and gradually increase the duration of the procedures to 5-7 minutes. Even if the child feels great in the steam room, you should not take him to the sauna more than once a week.
We must not
forget about the safety rules: do not leave the baby in the steam room alone,
do not put him on the upper shelf, do not allow him to go to the oven, and do
not allow playing with bath accessories. And most importantly: it is very important to
tell your child in advance in an accessible form about the sauna, about bathing
procedures, their purpose and benefits. It is necessary to interest the baby so
that he looks forward to his first visit. If you take the process responsibly
and turn the trip into the bathhouse into a fun game, then the pleasure for the
whole family will be guaranteed!