Bathing or cleansing an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) occurs on a routine basis for aesthetic purposes, skin care, reducing infection for infants, and spreading infection to healthcare providers. However, NICUs across the country vary in their practice. Some institutions use water and bathe infants on a daily basis1 whereas others leave the timing and choice of products up to the nurses' discretion and/or use commercially available infant wipes.2 Even with the simple task of bathing NICU infants, caregivers need to consider scientific evidence from empirical studies. The following article reviews the literature on the best methods to bathe infants in the NICU.
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