Bathing babies too often may cause skin problems such as eczema and rashes, experts warn.

Bathing babies too often may cause skin problems such as eczema and rashes, experts warn.

Today's infants are twice as likely to suffer from skin problems than their parents, a British survey of 2000 parents has found. And scientists in Europe have found infants who swim regularly in chlorinated indoor pools are more at risk of developing asthma and bronchitis.

Child-care experts say parents are ignoring advice to limit baths to two to three times a week due to concerns about keeping babies clean and germ free.

The British Mother And Baby magazine survey found six out of 10 babies were bathed every day, 20 per cent were bathed every other day and only 19 per cent were bathed the recommended two to three times a week.

In addition, 60 per cent of mothers used antiseptic wipes on their children's faces and hands, some more than five times a day.

Mother And Baby editor Elena Dalrymple said a baby's skin was five times thinner than an adult's and required very gentle treatment.

"It's not a good idea to bath baby every day. Two or three times a week is plenty," she said.

Anne O'Neill, a dermatologist at the Children's Hospital at Westmead, said babies did not get dirty until they began crawling.

"We really don't have to be quite as fastidious unless the child has an immune deficiency," she said.

The survey found 37 per cent of baby boys and 33 per cent of baby girls had skin problems - more than double that of their parents' generation.

Meanwhile, a European study published in the journal Pediatrics this month found exposure to chemicals in indoor swimming pools might alter the lining of the lungs, predisposing infants to airway disease in later years.

The lead author, Alfred Bernard of Belgium's National Fund for Scientific Research, said a possible culprit was the chemical trichloramine, a by-product of the chlorine used to clean public pools.

专家提醒，宝宝洗澡过于频繁可能会导致湿疹和皮疹等皮肤问题。

英国一项对两千名家长的调查发现，现在的婴儿出现皮肤问题的几率是他们父辈的两倍。欧洲科学家发现，经常在室内氯化泳池游泳的婴儿更容易患哮喘和支气管炎。

儿童护理专家称，宝宝每周的洗澡次数应控制在两至三次，但由于父母生怕宝宝身上不干净，染上细菌，因此忽视了这个建议。

英国《妈咪宝贝》杂志的此项调查发现，60%的宝宝每天都洗澡，20%的宝宝每隔一天洗一次，仅有19%的宝宝是按照专家建议，每周洗两至三次。

此外，60%的妈妈用消毒巾给宝宝擦脸擦手，有的一天甚至要擦五次以上。

《妈咪宝贝》杂志编辑艾莉娜·戴尔里姆普说，婴儿皮肤的厚度仅是成人的五分之一，需要十分温和的呵护。

她说：“每天给宝宝洗澡并不好。一周洗两至三次就足够了。”

威斯特米德儿童医院的皮肤科医生安妮·奥尼尔说，宝宝到了开始会爬的阶段才会容易变成小脏孩。

她说：“除非宝宝存在免疫缺陷，否则我们真的没有必要过于认真。”

调查发现，有皮肤问题的男婴和女婴比例分别为37%和33%，是他们父辈的两倍以上。

此外，本月在《儿科》期刊上公布的一项欧洲研究发现，婴儿与室内氯化泳池中的化学物质接触可能会导致肺部纹理发生变化，这会使孩子日后易患呼吸道疾病。

研究报告的主要撰写者、比利时国家科研基金会的埃尔弗莱德·伯纳德说，罪魁祸首可能是清洁公共浴池所用的氯产生的一种化学物质--三氯胺。