Drugs/Therapy

Mom Confesses to Washing Baby Only Once a Week, Doctors Weigh in

By Jennifer Broderick | Update Date: Oct 11, 2013 02:39 AM EDT

If a baby doesn't do much, besides coo and be cute, then how often does he need to get a bath? One mom blogged about her decision to only wash her baby boy once a week or every other week.

"I will confess that I have gone longer than a week," Claire Goss, a 32-year-old mom, told Good Morning America.

Goss made the starling confession on her blog which was featured on Babble.

"This makes total sense to me," Goss wrote in a blog. "It's not like he's touching every filthy thing he can find, or running around and sweating a lot, so spot cleaning should be pretty sufficient."

"My pediatrician told me with my second that I was bathing him too frequently because his skin was dried out," said Claire Goss, mother.

Parents should instead pay special attention to cleaning a baby's face, neck and diaper area, which can be addressed with quick diaper changes and use of burp cloths, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Experts say a daily bath for an infant is not necessary. The March of Dimes recommends that babies be bathed every two to three days. More frequent bathing can dry out skin, the March of Dimes says.

Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatrics says too many trips to the tub can decrease a baby's natural bacteria count and make them more susceptible to infections. However, they still advise it's best to wash your baby at least 3 times a week.

"We've learned now that baby skin is very different than adult skin,' Dr Alan Greene, a California-based pediatrician, told ABC News. "Really, you want to watch your baby more than watching the calendar when deciding to give a bath.'

And Mrs Goss echoes this: 'Mothers know their babies," she said. "They have gut feelings about their babies, and I would never presume to tell you how often to bathe your baby."

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