Rose asks an interesting question about whether to use cold water for babies. Here is an answer from Alexa Fleckenstein, M.D., my cold water expert and the author of Health 2 0:
Dear Rose,
Yes, you can apply cold water to babies. This is done in the tradition of European Natural Medicine to raise strong, robust children.
When my son was four months old, I started him. I filled his little pink tub with cold water, cradled the naked baby in my hands and very quickly dunked him in—but not his head. It took a second or so. For babies, the head always stays outside the water.
He took a deep gasp but never cried. He was so astonished about what had happened and so busy with thinking that he never had time to protest.
Can’t remember when I stopped it – but certainly I would not force a protesting toddler under cold water.
Now that our son is a young man, he follows the family tradition and ends each warm shower with a cold one, and he has become a healthy outdoorsman.
Tell us how your baby likes it!
Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.
You can see all comments on this post here:
6 Comments
July 5, 2008 at 11:28 pm
You are crazy and abusing children! Won’t do it to a toddler becuase they would protest?? However you will do it to a defenseless baby? You should be lucky you didn’t give the child phnemonia!
July 7, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Kristin Allen,
I bathed my son in cold water in the tradition of European Natural Medicine. And, no, he didn’t get pneumonia. The idea of cold water exposure (in babies and grown-ups) is that it strengthens the immune system and prevents colds (and pneumonia). Somehow counter-intuitive – but it works! And you should see this strapping young man now – a real outdoors guy!
The difference between a baby and a toddler is the size: You can dunk a baby for a second, but a toddler might squiggle – he might slip, and also, you would use more water. Only because a toddler might protest, however, is not an indication that what you try to do is bad for him…
Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.
July 8, 2009 at 8:03 am
Hi Alexa…can you tell me if it is okay to have cold showers while you are pregnant? I have only found 2 comments on the internet that says its okay…and one of them says to STOP taking cold showers after the 7th month of pregnancy? Can you give me any advice? My friend who is pregnant thinks I shouldn’t be doing it anymore because any sudden changes in temperature is harmful to a foetus…but I don’t jump straight under the cold after warm…I put my legs and arms in first for 30 seconds etc and then my body and so on. I really appreciate your time in answering this for me.
June 2, 2009 at 9:44 am
Hello, my father raised us also with cold showers, snow baths after saunas or hot tubs and icy swims in high mountain lakes during the summers. I still end every shower with a cold one and feel almost chilled if I don’t. I have started to put my own child under the cold shower but he seems not to like it. Perhaps I started too young, he was only two weeks, and now he doesn’t like to bathe with me. I have heard about Native Americans of the NorthWest who required their children to bathe in the cold water before they were given breakfast. The russians supposedly give their children an dunk in the hole in the ice and in sweden where I am now a cold plunge was always coupled with the bastu (sauna). I was so glad to see this research online as all of my friends responded to it like I was being extreme and torturous to my infant. It makes me sad that people are becoming more and more unhealthy and treat all of the old traditional means to achieving health as painful, archaic and traumatizing. Thanks for your work.
July 8, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Annalies,
In Europe, pregnant mothers continue their cold showers with out any harm and – I would say – with great benefits. I did so with two children – both healthy and happy.
The only adverse temperature during pregnancy is too hot. Therefore, jacuzzi and whirlpool are contraindicated because both increase core body temperature. Sauna, on the other hand does not increase core temperature (because the air hinders heat accumulation). Which means that if sauna is not overdone, it can be used during pregnancy – and should! And don’t forget the cold dunk!
All the best for you and your baby!
Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.
July 8, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Thank you very much for that Alexa.
Kind regards
Annalies
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