According to the doctors and nurses in the maternity department in Accra hospital, the matron of the maternity department in Ho and in Dzodze hospital in the Volta Region and a midwife in the Ekwapim area in the Eastern Region, the practice of massaging the head of a baby with hot water is very common all over Ghana. The massage and the bath are done by the grandmother or an experience mother.

The following description of the stages of the bath is based on the observation of 27 women who demonstrated the massage of the head on a doll and the observation of 6 babies during their bath. 

​

The preparation of the water.

The grandmother mixes boiling water with cool water in a bucket. The desired heat is determined by the touch of the hand. For the result of the usual temperatures of the water used for bath and how these temperatures change along the bath see "Hot water massage to a doll" page.

​

The process of the bath:

1. Massaging the head.

The grandmother puts the baby on her legs that rest on an empty big bowl, which is placed beneath to collect the wastewater. After removing the clothes of the baby, the grandmother dips the towel in the water, removes it, and then squeezes it.

There are different styles of massaging the head of a baby with the towel. Usually, the process involves all the styles.

• The towel is placed constantly on the anterior fontanelle up to 30 seconds.

• The towel is placed on the anterior fontanelle for one second, then it is raised and placed again there for another one second and the process is repeated in that fusion.

• The towel is pressed alternatively on different spots on the head of the baby, pressing around the head up to 20 or 30 seconds. 

The grandmother dips the towel in the hot water again, and the process repeats in this fashion for 4 to 15 minutes depending on the age of the baby.

When the baby is younger, the grandmother tends to put more effort on the head and especially on the anterior fontanelle in term of time and pressure of the massage in an effort to close the gap.

2. Massaging the body.

Once the grandmother finishes with the head, she massages the back, chest, hands, and legs by repeating the same method she applied on the head. If the baby is newly born, the grandmother pours water from the towel on the umbilicus and the private parts. Taking care of the body may take up to 20 minutes.

3. Washing the body.

The grandmother washes the baby with soap and water. This takes around 3 minutes.

4. Cosmetic treatment.

After wiping the baby with the towel, the grandmother applies oil on the head and on the body of the baby. A regular commercial baby oil and Shea butter are smeared on the body and on the head. For the treatment of the anterior fontanelle and other sutures in the head, oil or ointment such as Robb ointment, Omega oil, or less commonly, Palm Kernel oil are used. 

Shea butter is produced locally in the homes from the Shea tree, Vitellaria paradoxa, which grows in the north of Ghana, and no other chemicals are added to it.

Robb oil is a commercial oil which is produced in different countries.

Omega oil is locally made. However, on the bottle, there are no details of its ingredients. By the transparent look of the oil and its aroma, it seems to be a mixture of Robb oil and regular baby oil.

Palm kernel oil is produced locally at home from the Palm tree, and it is not mixed with any chemicals. If the baby is sick, special herbs will be ground and added to this oil and placed on the anterior fontanelle.

In all, a usual bath takes up to 45 minutes. If the baby finds it difficult to breathe through his or her nose due to a cold, the grandmother puts the hot towel on his face. This elongates the bath and the time that the head is exposed to the heat.

​