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At a Glance

Parents know that bath time is some of the best quality time that they get with their child, but many

underestimate its power and benefits, tells cognitive psychologist Dr. Charles Spencer. “According to the

JOHNSON’s Global Bath Time Report, the global average time spent bathing a baby is 23 minutes, adding

up to 10 hours a month, making bath time a great opportunity for parents to stimulate their baby’s senses,”

he says. “That said, few parents understand that the multisensory relaxing ritual of stimulation of the sense of

touch and smell, combined with the sound of splashing or singing will arouse parts of a child’s brain.”

Benefits

According to Dr. Spencer, the most well-documented and

biggest benefits of stimulating a baby’s senses are improved

sleep quality and a more relaxed state of mind for the child.

“In fact, establishing a bath time routine turns out to be as

important for the primary caregiver as it is for the child,” he

says while the face-to-face and skin contact cements the bond

and cultivates parental love.

Massage

Following bath time with rhythmic baby massage is key to

stimulating the senses, tells Dr. Spencer. “Touch is perhaps

the most potent emotional sense and, accounting for 18

percent of body mass, the skin constitutes by far the biggest

sensory surface for stimulation,” he explains. “The slow

stroking of the hairy skin, which is all of the skin excluding

palms of the hand and soles of the feet, through baby massage

can deliver real benefits in terms of soothing the baby into a

more relaxed state of mind, aiding digestion and improving

circulation.” Recent research also suggests that it can help

weight gain in premature babies as well.

Avoid Overstimulation

While multisensorial stimulation is important, Dr. Spencer

warns parents must be careful not to overload a child’s senses.

“Everything is unknown for a baby and new experiences can

be overwhelming, resulting in fidgeting, sleeplessness, or a

lack of attention,” he says, and in fact, it is difficult to qualify

‘too much stimulation’ and it will be a process of trial and

error for each family. He advises that it is essential, though, to

try and deliver a balanced diet of sensory stimulation and that

means primarily focusing on sight and sound, but at the same

time not neglecting the more emotional senses such as touch,

smell, and taste. Setting a regular pattern of engaging multiple

senses can help establish a healthy balance.

Sep/Oct 2015