Visiting a bathhouse is a way to harden the body. In the bathhouse, the temperature contrast has a beneficial effect on the body. However, many parents are afraid to take their child to the bathhouse, believing that this procedure may be unsafe. But if parents themselves often visit the bathhouse, then introducing their children to this tradition will only bring benefits. Let's consider at what age a child can go to the bathhouse, the procedure and safety precautions when visiting the steam room are so useful.
Is it possible to steam a child in a bathhouse?
The question of whether a child can go to a steam room should be discussed with a pediatrician; he will be able to give a definite answer. The problem is that doctors' opinions differ, and many doctors do not recommend that children go to the sauna with their parents.
What is the reason for this opinion:
- The baby does not tolerate fluctuations in temperature conditions.
- The process of thermoregulation in the body of children proceeds differently than in adults.
- The mucous membranes of the baby, like its skin, are extremely sensitive to temperature changes.
It is believed that to go to the sauna, a child must be ready from a physiological and psychological point of view.
What “criteria” must the baby meet:
- be absolutely healthy, do not have colds or viral diseases;
- be full, not hungry, but not overfed.
Do not forget that such procedures have contraindications, for this reason you should be careful when visiting the bathhouse. The child must be prepared for such procedures.
In what cases should you avoid visiting the sauna:
- If the baby is not feeling well.
- He has tummy problems, colic, constipation, and bowel problems.
- Rashes of unknown etiology appeared on the skin.
- The child did not sleep well and was teething.
When a baby for some reason feels unwell, is capricious, refuses to eat or sleeps poorly, you should refuse to visit the steam room, since such procedures will aggravate the baby’s condition and cause a stressful situation for him.
What is the ideal age to visit a steam room?
- doctors clearly state that before the baby is 3 months old, he should not be exposed to high temperatures;
- however, not everything is so simple, there is an opinion that it is worth going to the bathhouse from 1 year old; it makes no sense to carry out such procedures earlier, since they can cause serious harm to the child’s health;
- Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky claims that children have nothing to do in the bathhouse; entry into the steam room is allowed from 2 years old, not earlier.
This mixed opinion is due to individual preferences. Komarovsky argues that one should not compare the body of children with the body of their parents. Until the mucous membranes are fully formed and the baby gets stronger, he has nothing to do in the steam room.
But each case is considered individually, which means that the decision can be changed, provided that the baby has no contraindications or serious health problems.
The effect of a bath on a child’s body
As modern studies have shown, children who regularly visit bathhouses and saunas get sick less, and the risk of contracting colds is 80% less than in children who are not accustomed to steam rooms and saunas.
The bathhouse has a beneficial effect on children; they are less irritable, more determined, and are not so afraid of difficulties. Experts associate this with such a fact as relaxation. Don’t smile, because a bathhouse is an excellent means of relieving tension and overexcitement! Water and warmth have calmed people since ancient times, and now nothing has changed. Water and heat are the power of nature.
I can also recommend using essential oils in the bath, for example Lavender essential oil. This oil is great for calming children, they fall asleep well, and it smells amazing!
