Should children use bubble bath

Answer 1

From a standpoint of cleanliness, the benefit may be slight-fully beneficial... but as far as encouraging your children to bathe, a bubble bath could possibly instill a sense of "fun" to baths, which could make them more likely to take self-hygiene more seriously as they grow older.

Answer 2

Check with the baby's pediatrician, this may depend on many variables. However, many sources do say that children, especially female children, should not take bubble baths (and some adults should not) since they can cause urinary tract infections. The following advice was found at babycenter.com on this subject (link to the full article is provided in the related links section below):

"Bubble baths have been linked to urinary tract infections (UTIs) so experts recommend avoiding them until your child is at least 3 years old. Bubble bath formulas, as well as strong soaps that contain deodorants or potent scents, can irritate the opening of your baby's urethra (where urine comes out) if the soap is not rinsed off completely. "This makes it painful to urinate so the child ends up holding the urine and voiding incompletely, which can lead to UTIs," says Shelly J. King, a pediatric urology nurse practitioner at the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

According to the American Foundation for Urologic Disease, girls are more likely to get UTIs. In boys, UTIs occur almost exclusively in those younger than six months who are uncircumcised. To prevent UTIs in girls and boys:

•Don't let your child soak in a tub full of soapy water or bubble bath.

•If your child is toilet trained, encourage her to urinate after bathing, This will empty her bladder of any bacteria that could lead to a UTI.

•If your child is prone to UTIs, or complains that urinating is painful after a bubble bath, avoid bubble baths altogether until puberty or at least until your child can thoroughly rinse her own bottom."