Research on the practice of massaging the head of a baby with hot water and ointments in Ghana. By Dzamesi Yael (Ph.D. in Science Education)
A bath to Vincentia
Abstract.
In the lukewarm water bath, the temperatures over the neck and the anterior fontanelle were all under 37.5 degrees Celsius. No signs of stress were shown by the baby who remained awake and quiet during the whole bath.
Watch "Video 1" of the lukewarm water bath.
The following Figure 1, describes the changes of the body heat measured in degrees Celsius over two different spots on the head during the bath. Blue line represents the changes of body heat measured over the neck, and grey line represents the changes of body heat measured over the anterior fontanelle.
Three parameters are described along the horizontal (x) axis:
1. The numbers in an increase order represent the time that passed during the bath in minutes.
At 0 minute is the temperature before bath. General body temperature was measured by digital thermometer and was 36.5 degrees Celsius. During the bath it was measured by infra-red thermometer.
2. Under the minutes are the stages of the bath.
3. Under the stages of the bath is the behavior of the baby, which is written in red color.
No hot water was added to the initial amount of water in the bucket during the bath.
Figure 1: Massaging and bathing the baby with lukewarm (room temperature) water.
Vincentia (Figure 1) is an example for a lukewarm bath. Even though the first temperature measured over the anterior fontanelle was relatively high (38.5 °C). As the lukewarm water bath continue the temperatures measured over the head were low. The temperatures measured over the neck revealed the temperature of the blood flowing from the brain and so, indicates that the temperature of the brain was not much affected by the warm water. By the end of the bath, the temperature of the neck was 36.6 degree Celsius, and of the anterior fontanelle was 36.2 degrees Celsius. these two temperatures were closed to each other with a difference of only 0.4 degrees Celsius. However, in the beginning of the bath the difference between them was of 1.4 degrees Celsius. Apart from the first temperature, all measured temperatures along the bath were less than 37.5 degree Celsius. No signs of stress were shown by the baby who remained awake and quiet during the whole bath.
Video 1: Lukewarm water bath.
The baby was born few days before taking this video. You can see the clip that tights the umbilical cord where it was been cut. The mother use lukewarm water and massages the head of the baby shortly and lightly. The baby is fully awake and does not cry. The conversation among the women was not related to the baby and therefore, it is not been stated here.