It’s something you might be told in passing as you and your little one leave the hospital: “Oh, just give them a sponge bath until the umbilical cord falls out” or “Because of their small size, just ...

The thought of bathing your newborn can be panic-inducing. What if they get too slippery? What if you get soap in their eyes or water up their nose? What if they lose that precious new baby scent?

Caregivers can bathe newborns a few times a week. Bathing too often can dry out a baby’s skin, and babies do not need bathing every day. For the first weeks, caregivers can sponge bath a baby before ...