Whether or not to take the child to the sauna is the question. Sometimes young mothers, when they are going to take a steam bath, want to take their baby with them. However, the desire to warm the child and harden his immunity in this way runs into a wall of misunderstanding on the part of the older generation. At the same time, disputes about whether or not a sauna is harmful for a child are conducted not only in the process of kitchen wars. Scientists also have different points of view on this issue. In any case, it is worth remembering that a visit to the sauna with a child obliges you to follow a number of rules.
Fear for children - excessive wrapping, refusal of the baby in ice cream, attempts to give him useful herbs for immunity - is especially inherent in the Russian older generation. For grandparents, parenting methods that operated 20-30 and even 40 years ago are authoritative. Therefore, they often consider everything new to be unhelpful and dangerous for the child. For them, it is better to go to the bathhouse than to the newfangled steam room. In European countries, they are more loyal to the issues of raising babies, so in the Czech Republic or other countries you can easily meet dad and mom in a sauna with a child.
What are the benefits of a sauna for a child
For the most part, saunas are dry steam rooms where the humidity does not exceed 15%. The heating temperature here is slightly higher than in the bath, and is about 70-90 degrees. Due to this distribution of parameters, the sauna is often called a gentle option, because breathing in it is easier and freer than in a humid and hot steam room.
This does not mean at all that the bathhouse is not useful for children. Simply, if possible, it is better to start accustoming the child to the culture of visiting such institutions by visiting a softer option.
As for medical indicators, visiting the sauna for children is useful for preventing the development of respiratory diseases, chronic colds, in the presence of skin diseases, etc. In addition, the sauna is proven to be an excellent sedative, which is ideal for hyperexcited toddlers.
Sauna rules for children
In order for the sauna to be useful for the child and not become stressful for his body, it is necessary to follow a number of fairly simple rules. The main one is that the child must be absolutely healthy. No snot, sneeze, or cough. And do not convince yourself that the sauna will help warm up the baby and steam, and the symptoms of SARS will go away. You can only make things worse because under the influence of heat, hidden inflammatory processes in the body are accelerated, and the child's condition can deteriorate sharply.
It is better to consult with your doctor first about whether you can go to the sauna with your child. The specialist observing you is aware of all the existing problems of the child, he will be able to make an informed decision on this issue.
You can go to the sauna with a child only once a week, more often it is not worth it.
Naturally, in the sauna, parents should not relax and leave the child unattended literally for a second. After all, he can easily burn himself on the stove (even if, in your opinion, it is well hidden and insulated) or drown in water if there is a pool in the sauna.
Take care of the optimal temperature. Even if you like it hot, remember that you are with a child who may be uncomfortable with too hot air. Try to set the temperature lower, see if the baby will breathe comfortably, if he will not suffocate. If everything is in order, you can slowly increase the degree.
Do not try to plunge your child into the pool suddenly. It will be quite stressful for his body. He should go into the water only after a warm shower, which he will take after leaving the steam room. So the skin will have time to tune in and turn on all its defense mechanisms.
Contraindications
Naturally, there are a number of contraindications for a child to visit the sauna. So, if he has a history of diseases of the cardiovascular system, problems with the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract, as well as purulent skin diseases, you should refuse to visit the steam room.
The child's desire should also play an important role. If the baby whines, is capricious and refuses to go into the steam room, do not force it. He will not get pleasure, he will only spend more nerves.
Before visiting a sauna with a child, weigh the pros and cons, think over all the nuances and only then go to the steam room. Thoughtfulness of the procedure is the key to success. It is possible to take a child to the sauna only taking into account all permissive factors.
