Hardening of a child of 1 year of life. Hardening of children. Gradual and individual approach

Hardening is the leading method of increasing the resistance of the child's body. When a child is born, it enters a new environment. Nature endowed the baby with many different adaptive and protective mechanisms so that he could survive and begin to develop in this environment.

So, for example, a child has thermoregulation mechanisms that prevent overheating and hypothermia. By wrapping up a child, creating greenhouse conditions for him, we "deprive" these mechanisms of work.

To obtain a positive effect from hardening, it is necessary to observe some general rules:
1. The systematic use of hardening procedures in all seasons without interruption
2. Interruptions in hardening lead to a weakening of the adaptive mechanisms that are formed under the influence of hardening procedures. Even in adults, after 3-4 weeks after the termination of hardening procedures, the developed resistance to cold is sharply weakened. In children in the 1st year of life, the effect of adaptation disappears in an even shorter time - after 5-7 days. As the conditions associated with the seasons change, the procedures must be varied without completely abolishing them. For example, a summer shower in winter can be replaced by dousing your feet.
3. It is possible to ensure systematic hardening procedures throughout the year only if they are firmly included in the child’s daily routine and are combined with the usual activities held at different times of the day (washing, walking, sleeping, playing, hygienic bath, etc. d.).
4. Gradual increase in the strength of the irritating effect
Hardening is based on the ability of the body to gradually adapt to unusual conditions. Resistance to low temperatures must be brought up consistently, but continuously. The transition from weaker hardening procedures to stronger ones (by lowering the temperature of air, water and increasing the duration of the procedure) must be carried out gradually. This is especially important for young children and debilitated children (premature, malnourished, rickets, exudative diathesis or other allergic diseases).

Sunbathing hardening
The sun and air in combination with swimming have a beneficial effect on the body.
However, in order to ensure the maximum healing effect and not cause harm, it is necessary to follow the rule of using solar radiation in the summer - it should be used carefully.

In pursuit of a tan, you can damage your health, because the healing effect of solar radiation appears at doses that are not
cause intense skin pigmentation. Improper use of the sun can lead to overheating of the body (heat stroke) and sunburn on the skin. The first signs are dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath.
The human body is affected not only by direct solar radiation, but also diffused, so sunbathing can be taken in the shade.

Morning hours are favorable for solar procedures:
in the south until 11 o'clock,
in the middle lane up to 12 hours,
you need to take them 1.5 hours after eating,
After sunbathing, dousing with cool water (+ 16-18 ° C), and then good rubbing is useful.

Therapeutic effect:
cause positive changes in the nervous, respiratory systems, musculoskeletal system;
improve metabolism;
increase the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood;
improve the composition of the lymph;
have a beneficial effect on the activity of the digestive system and the function of the pancreas;
increase the overall tone of the body, its resistance to infections;
have an anti-rachitic effect (under the influence of sunlight, vitamin D is formed in the body, which is necessary for the normal development of the skeletal system).

With any hardening measures, it is necessary to take into account the age and state of health of the child and the individual characteristics of his body. With age, the load should be gradually increased. The weaker the child, the more carefully one should approach the hardening procedures, but it is necessary to harden it! If the child does get sick, consult a doctor if it is possible to continue at least some procedures with a reduced impact force; if this cannot be done, you will have to start all over again after recovery.
Carrying out hardening procedures against the background of a positive mood of the child.
Any hardening event should be carried out after creating a good mood for the child. Crying, the appearance of a feeling of anxiety or fear of hardening procedures should not be allowed. If by the time
the procedure, the child is upset with something, cries, it is better to postpone the procedure for another time or completely cancel it: it will no longer be possible to obtain a positive effect from this procedure.

During hardening, be sure to check the condition of the child's skin:
the procedure can be carried out only if the nose and limbs are warm. If the child is chilled and already has vasoconstriction, it will not be possible to develop a positive reaction to hardening, only the opposite effect can be obtained. Overheating is also harmful: it increases the moisture content of the skin, which changes its thermal conductivity, as a result of which even moderate exposure to cool water or air can lead to significant hypothermia of the child's body.

air hardening
I way- ventilation of the room. Air hardening begins with this. The best way to ventilate is through, it can be arranged in the absence of a child. The hardening factor in airing the room is to lower the temperature by 1-2 ° C. In autumn and winter, it is necessary to ventilate the room 4-5 times a day for 10-15 minutes. In summer, the window should be open, the optimum air temperature in the room where the baby is located is + 20-22 ° C. Studies have shown that at a higher temperature in the room, the growth and development of the child is delayed.

II way- a walk, including a dream in the air. It is advisable to spend as much time as possible outdoors. In the summer outside the city, it is advisable to take food, sleep, gymnastics, and games into the fresh air. It is useful to walk at any time of the year, just do not forget that you need to dress according to the weather. Don't wrap the baby! Children from 2-3 weeks of age in the cold season at an air temperature not lower than -5 ° C should be taken out into the street.
The duration of the first procedure is 10 minutes, in the future, the walking time should be increased to 1.5-2 hours and walking twice a day. In the warm season, walks with a child should be daily, 2-3 times a day, between feedings for 2-2.5 hours.

III way- air baths. Under the influence of air baths, oxygen absorption increases, heat exchange conditions change significantly, the state of the child's nervous system improves - he becomes calmer, eats and sleeps better.

For children of the 1st year of life, air baths begin with swaddling. It is useful to leave the child undressed for a while with each swaddling and changing clothes. It is necessary to undress and dress the child slowly. The air temperature during the air bath should gradually decrease to + 18-20 ° C. The time of air baths should be gradually increased, and from the age of one month the air bath should be combined with massage and gymnastics.
During the first six months of life, it is recommended to carry out air baths for 10 minutes 2 times a day. You need to start with 3 minutes, adding 1 minute daily. During the second half of the year - 2 times a day for 15 minutes, daily increasing the duration of the bath by 2 minutes.
During and after the air bath, the child should look cheerful, he should be in a good mood.

water hardening
Experience shows that a one-year-old baby who can swim is real. First, children learn to swim underwater, then little by little they begin to float on the surface. Hence the conclusion: in order to teach a child to swim, he must first be taught to dive.

A word to supporters of early sailing. Here are their arguments:
1. Swimming improves health, and the ability to hold your breath underwater
develops lungs.
2. Early swimming is a guarantee that the child will not be afraid of water and will not
sink if accidentally dropped into water. Statistics show that
children drown (many children!) every year, and 78 percent of the time they
choke in shallow water bodies and even ordinary puddles, not being able to
hold breath.
3. After swimming, children sleep soundly. Swim with your baby and sleep at night
calmly!
4. Diving is a good way to wash your nose and treat a runny nose.
5. Swimming with parents in the pool is a great vacation for the whole family. The baby is immersed in water immediately. If the mother talks to him and explains what is happening, the baby feels more confident. Of course, he won’t understand the words, but his mother’s friendly intonations will certainly reach him.
Some babies like to swim on their tummy, others on their back. Start the procedure with what the baby likes best.

The most important moment in a woman's life is the birth of a small, warm, so defenseless lump, your child. From this moment on, you are responsible not only for yourself, but also for the life of a newly appeared person. There is not a single Mammal in wildlife that would be more defenseless than a “human cub”. It is good if a mother feeds her baby with breast milk. What if, for some reason, this is not possible? You have to do something to boost your immune system. You can start hardening infants.

hardening- This is a system of certain measures to strengthen the immune system, increase the body's resistance to infections. Usually natural environmental factors are used: water, air, hot sand, etc.

There are several types of hardening:

- a set of physical exercises aimed at improving health;

- dousing, rubbing, bathing in cold water;

- sunbathing;

- walking barefoot on grass, hot sand.

The very first thing you should understand is that adult hardening methods are not suitable for hardening of children up to a year. Do not pour ice water on a poor baby, this can lead to irreparable consequences.

Try not to keep your baby in diapers. In addition to the fact that doctors do not advise this at all, it is also a method of hardening. When he, excuse me, is described, there will be a change in temperature. You can’t change his clothes at lightning speed, which means that for a fraction of a minute the baby will lie down wet.

Air baths are suitable for hardening children up to a year. Dressing up a child let him lie naked for 5-7 minutes. Optimum room temperature is 20-22 °C. Another tip on how to start hardening a child is to air the room. In summer, at hot temperatures, the window can be kept open, in the cold season, ventilate the room at least 2-3 times a day. Thus, you lower the temperature in the room by 1-2 ° C.

Hardening of children How else can you harden a child up to a year? Gradually lowering the temperature of the water in your baby's bath. Attention! This process should be systematic, lowering 1 ° C per week. In general, babies should be bathed at a water temperature of 36 ° C. Try not to check with the "grandmother's" method, i.e. elbow. Buy a special thermometer. Don't skimp on this. You can easily frighten a child with too hot or cold water. After a few weeks, you will see that your baby is actively moving in the water. It started hardening. Bathing time is usually 10 minutes, but when hardening, double it, i.e. stay in the water for 20 minutes. Watch the baby's behavior. If you cry, check the water, maybe it's too cold, or maybe he's not used to this temperature yet and you should wait. Rub the baby's skin well after bathing to make it turn pink.

When laying down for the night, if it is a warm season outside, put on a beacon and panties. Do not cover with a blanket. In winter, pajamas are enough. Be sure to leave your legs bare, do not wear socks. In the future, it will be possible to leave the window open at night, but only in summer and if the weather is calm.

If you set out to start hardening your baby from infancy, then it’s a good idea to use physical education for these purposes. And for such young children, massage is better. I don't recommend massage. In infancy, most babies have problems with muscle tone. It's either up or down. Unprofessional massage can harm you. If you still want to do it yourself, then go first to a pediatric neurologist, he will tell you, for example, that your child has increased muscle tone, and write out a referral for a massage. You at least several times go to a specialist and carefully look at what needs to be done.

When the child begins to walk, let him run barefoot for a while.

If you or your grandparents have a dacha, move without hesitation for the summer. I can guarantee that the baby will stock up on health for the whole summer. The sun, earth, air, fresh fruits and vegetables help to strengthen the immune system. An effective way to harden children up to a year. Do not forbid running barefoot on the grass. Take baths during the day right on the street. Walk naked in the sun, as vitamin D is stored for the whole winter. But not for long, avoid sunburn. Make a small sandbox, and when the sand warms up, let the baby warm the legs there.

In the cold season, when it is not possible to stay outdoors for a long time, you can do this. Dress your child properly, and just put him to sleep in the stroller on the balcony during sleep.

I gave examples of hardening children with infancy and up to about a year. After a year, you can start going to the pool. A wonderful way to harden a child. Increased immunity, strengthening the back muscles, a calming effect on the nervous system, we can talk a lot about the positive aspects of this method of hardening. You can also enter douches with cool (note, cool, not cold water). Even later, try not to dry your baby after bathing. Watch his reaction carefully. Do not cross the dangerous line between hardening and the fact that you cripple your health.

If you are a loving and responsible mother, if you want your baby to grow up as a healthy and strong person, if you are tired of watching your child get sick, listen to our advice. Start tempering the child from infancy. If you approach this issue with your head, it will not get worse. It will only get better!

Tempering children 1 year.

With the birth of children, we associate many hopes: we want them to grow up beautiful and smart, and also healthy and strong. And therefore the main task of both parents and doctors is the prevention of possible diseases from the first days of a child's life.

When a child is born, it enters a new environment. Nature endowed the baby with many different adaptive and protective mechanisms so that he could survive and begin to develop in this environment. So, for example, a child has thermoregulation mechanisms that prevent overheating and hypothermia. By wrapping up a child, creating hothouse conditions for him, we "deprive" these mechanisms of work. Having become unnecessary, they can gradually atrophy, and then even a light breeze will pose a threat to the child - a defenseless baby can easily get sick.

The endurance of the body and its resistance to changing environmental conditions increase under the influence of hardening - air, water, scattered sunlight: the child increases to various diseases, the mechanisms of thermoregulation are improved; hardening promotes proper metabolism, has a positive effect on the physical, on the adaptation of his body to new living conditions. Hardening is the leading method of increasing the resistance of the child's body.

However, to obtain a positive effect from hardening, a number of general rules must be observed:

The systematic use of hardening procedures in all seasons without interruption

Breaks in lead to a weakening of the adaptive mechanisms that are formed under the influence of hardening procedures. Even in adults, after 3-4 weeks after the termination of hardening procedures, the developed resistance to cold is sharply weakened. In children in the 1st year of life, the disappearance of the effect of adaptation occurs in an even shorter time - after 5-7 days. As the conditions associated with the seasons change, the procedures must be varied without completely abolishing them. For example, a summer shower in winter can be replaced by dousing your feet.

It is possible to ensure systematic hardening procedures throughout the year only if they are firmly included in the child’s daily routine and are combined with the usual activities held at different times of the day (washing, walking, sleeping, playing, hygienic bath, etc. .).

Gradual increase in the strength of the irritating effect

Hardening is based on the ability of the body to gradually adapt to unusual conditions. Resistance to low temperatures must be brought up consistently, but continuously. The transition from weaker hardening procedures to stronger ones (by lowering the temperature of air, water and increasing the duration of the procedure) must be carried out gradually. This is especially important for young children and debilitated children (premature, suffering from malnutrition, rickets, exudative or other allergic diseases).

Accounting for the age and individual characteristics of the child

Carrying out hardening procedures against the background of a positive mood of the child

Any hardening event should be carried out after creating a good mood for the child. Crying, the appearance of a feeling of anxiety or fear of hardening procedures should not be allowed. If by the time the procedure is performed, the child is upset with something, crying, it is better to postpone the procedure for another time or completely cancel it: it will no longer be possible to obtain a positive effect from this procedure.

Compliance with the temperature regime of the skin

During hardening, be sure to check the condition of the child's skin: the procedure can be carried out only if his nose and limbs are warm. If the child is chilled and already has vasoconstriction, it will not be possible to develop a positive reaction to hardening, only the opposite effect can be obtained. Overheating is also harmful: it increases the moisture content of the skin, which changes its thermal conductivity, as a result of which even moderate exposure to cool water or air can lead to significant hypothermia of the child's body.

air hardening

I method - airing the room. Air hardening begins with this. The best way to ventilate is through, it can be arranged in the absence of a child. The hardening factor when airing the room is to lower the temperature by 1-2°C. In autumn and winter, it is necessary to ventilate the room 4-5 times a day for 10-15 minutes. In summer, the window should be open, the optimum air temperature in the room where it is located is + 20-22 ° С. Studies have shown that at higher room temperatures, the growth and development of the child is delayed.

Method II - a walk, including sleeping in the air. It is advisable to spend as much time as possible outdoors. In the summer outside the city, it is advisable to take food, sleep, gymnastics, and games into the fresh air. It is useful to walk at any time of the year, just do not forget that you need to dress according to the weather. Don't wrap the baby! Children from 2-3 weeks of age in the cold season at an air temperature not lower than -5 ° C should be taken out into the street. The duration of the first procedure is 10 minutes, in the future, the walking time should be increased to 1.5-2 hours and walking twice a day. In the warm season, walks with a child should be daily, 2-3 times a day, between feedings for 2-2.5 hours.

In the first 1.5 years of a child's life, daytime sleep in the air is recommended. At the same time, fast falling asleep, calm sleep, even breathing, pink complexion, absence of sweat, warm extremities upon awakening indicate that the child is dressed correctly, that is, he is in a state of thermal comfort. When cooling or overheating, the child sleeps restlessly. Blueness of the face, cold nose, cold extremities are indicators of sudden cooling. Sweaty forehead and damp skin indicate that the child is hot.

III method - air baths. Under the influence of air baths, oxygen absorption increases, heat exchange conditions change significantly, the state of the child's nervous system improves - he becomes calmer, eats and sleeps better.

For children of the 1st year of life, air baths begin with. It is useful to leave the child undressed for a while with each swaddling and changing clothes. It is necessary to undress and dress the child slowly. The air temperature during the air bath should gradually decrease to + 18-20°C. The time of air baths should be gradually increased, and from the age of one month, the air bath should be combined with massage and gymnastics.

During the first six months of life, it is recommended to carry out air baths for 10 minutes 2 times a day. You need to start with 3 minutes, adding 1 minute daily. During the second half of the year - 2 times a day for 15 minutes, daily increasing the duration of the bath by 2 minutes.

During and after the air bath, the child should look cheerful, he should be in a good mood. Make sure that the children do not cry at this time and have the opportunity to move. Do not miss the signs of hypothermia: when "goosebumps" appear, you need to dress the child, stop the air bath, and further reduce its duration. It is always necessary to pay attention to the sleep and appetite of the child: their violation may be a sign of the adverse effects of the air bath.

In summer, air baths can be combined with sun baths.

Hardening by sunlight

It must be remembered that the sun's rays are a potent remedy. Young children are not shown to be in direct sunlight, as well as sunbathing. Hardening should begin in diffused sunlight. The child is better off in the so-called "lace shade". First, he should be dressed in a shirt made of light light fabric at an air temperature of + 22-24 ° C. In the middle of wakefulness, the child should be undressed and left naked for several minutes, gradually increasing the hardening time to 10 minutes. On the head of the baby you need to put on a panama. It is useful that at this time he moves freely in the arena, on the playground, playing with toys.

In a good general condition, if the child tolerates well being in the lacy shade of trees, you can also expose him to direct sunlight, first for half a minute, and then gradually increase the time spent in the sun to 5 minutes. It is necessary to perform this procedure in the morning (before 10-11 o'clock) or in the evening (after 17). It is necessary to ensure that the child does not overheat. With reddening of the face, the appearance of irritability, excitability, it is necessary to take him out of the lacy shade of trees or from under the direct rays of the sun into the shade and give him cool boiled water to drink. If the child is weakened by diseases, hardening by sunlight should be carried out very carefully, under the supervision of an adult who is constantly nearby, it is also necessary to periodically consult with the attending physician or exercise therapy doctor, who allow and dose the procedure.

Inna Sharkova, pediatric neurologist
Konstantin Rychenko, pediatrician

Kindergarten is ahead, which means you need to take care of your health. Hardening plays an important role here. After all, this has an impact not only on physical health, but also helps to adapt to new conditions.

It is necessary to increase the body's defenses all year round. But it is better to start well in advance, in spring or summer.

In the surrounding nature there is everything necessary for strong immunity - water, air, sun.

Temperature difference is the basis of hardening. The accustomed organism of children will independently cope with loads and will cease to perceive them.

Three Basic Principles of Hardening

1. dosage - one should not be zealous with the frequency and duration of hardening;

2. moderation - too much zeal can lead to the opposite result;

3. regularity is the basis of the basics - if you have already started, then do not stop.

The most accessible and useful type of hardening are outdoor walks.

Hardening should begin not when the child began to constantly get sick, but from a very early age. Doctors offer expectant mothers to start hardening the baby even before it is born, in the womb. Under the supervision of specialists, pregnant women take regular walks in the fresh air, take contrast showers, dosed air and ultraviolet baths. All this has a beneficial effect on the health of the baby and the mother's body.

What is hardening? This is an increase in the body's resistance to the adverse effects of environmental factors through regular training.

hardening rules

You can harden and often sick children. But the procedures begin when the child is healthy. The procedures should be carried out systematically, throughout the year. Only then will they have the maximum effect.

It is important to gradually increase the strength of the stimulus and the time of its effect on the child's body.

Remember: all tempering procedures will be effective only against the background of positive emotions.

hardening procedures

The average air temperature in the room is +18– +20 oC.

Daytime sleep in the open air at an air temperature of -15 to +30 oC.

Mandatory air baths lasting up to 10-15 minutes when changing clothes after a night and daytime sleep, during physical exercises, morning hygienic exercises and washing.

Regular washing with a gradual decrease in water temperature from +20 to +16–18 oC.

Children over 2 years of age wash their neck, arms up to the elbow, upper chest.

2-3 times a day walk at air temperature from -15 to +30 oC.

Pouring after a walk with a gradual decrease in water temperature from +35 (+36–37 oC in winter) to +24–26 oC (up to +28 oC in winter)

Dousing your feet at least 2 times a week before daytime sleep at a water temperature of +28 oC to +18–20 oC.

Bath before going to bed at least 2 times a week at a water temperature of 36-37 ° for 8-10 minutes, followed by dousing with water at a temperature of +34 oC.

Stay in direct sunlight in summer, starting from 5-6 minutes to 8-10 minutes 2-3 times a day.

It is not necessary to use all methods at once, it is better to start regularly and gradually. During illness, hardening - in a sparing mode and after consultation with a doctor.

Hardening is a healthy habit. It will last for life, then the immune system will work in full force and without failures.

And one more thing: if you plan to make a child hardened, start with yourself, so you yourself will feel how pleasant or uncomfortable these or those procedures are. Yes, and increase your immunity, strengthen your health!

From the first seconds of birth, the baby enters a new environment. In order to quickly adapt to new conditions, the baby's body activates all defense mechanisms. It is not necessary to immediately place the child in greenhouse conditions. He must adapt himself to this world. The task of parents is only to help the baby adapt to the external environment. To do this, you need to harden the crumbs from the first days of life.

Why is it necessary to temper a child from birth?

Nature endowed man with thermoregulation - an important property of the human body that allows us to adapt to the world around us. The newborn is able to adapt itself to temperature changes in the environment.

The task of adults is not to interfere with the crumbs, if necessary, to connect all the body's defenses. Parents, on the contrary, should help him. For this, hardening is needed.

If from the first days the baby is raised in greenhouse conditions, then the system of natural thermoregulation will stop working, and the baby will not be able to independently adapt to cold or heat. To prevent this from happening, you need to start hardening procedures as early as possible.

This gives the newborn a number of advantages:

The body activates the processes responsible for thermoregulation.
Increased resistance to adverse factors.
The metabolism is normalized.
Physical and mental development is activated.
The nervous system and the general health of the child are strengthened.

Basics of hardening a newborn baby

You should start hardening the little man only after making sure that he is absolutely healthy.

Watch his behavior, reaction to the environment and mental state. It is allowed to temper a weakened infant with problematic health only with special care.

Hardening of the crumbs should be started gradually, carefully observing how the child's body reacts to this. Monitor your baby's health, appetite and weight. The child's habituation to changes in the temperature environment occurs gradually. A small organism is not able to adapt instantly. You can notice the fruits of hardening only after some time.

Excitable or weak children are hardened carefully . First, you can expose only the arms or legs of the baby, then the chest, tummy or back. When the baby gets stronger, you can proceed to the usual hardening procedures for a healthy baby.

Remember that hardening is carried out regardless of the season and ambient temperature. Only regular procedures will help to achieve the desired result - the timely reaction of blood vessels and the whole body to temperature changes.

You can perform hardening procedures only with good health and the mood of the crumbs. If the baby is naughty or shows anxiety, the lesson should be interrupted. The child should not have a fear of certain procedures.

To ensure that the results achieved do not disappear over time, it is necessary to strengthen the health of the child on an ongoing basis.

Contraindications for hardening procedures

Unfortunately, sometimes you have to interrupt the regular hardening procedures.

Classes may need to be postponed under certain circumstances.

The baby categorically does not like to harden.
The child's nervous excitability increases.
There are other signs of a cold or intestinal disease.
The baby is having trouble sleeping.
The child is losing weight.

In addition, more serious diseases, such as, say, low hemoglobin, exhaustion, or decompensated heart disease, can become the reason for not hardening.

Hardening activities are divided into 3 groups

air procedures.
Hardening with water.
Strengthening health with the use of sunbathing.

air hardening

Air hardening of infants includes a number of procedures

Airing . The comfortable temperature for the baby is 22-23 degrees. Strengthen the health of the crumbs begin with a decrease in temperature in the nursery by 1-2 degrees. In the cold autumn and winter seasons, the room in which the child is located is ventilated at least five times a day. At this time, the baby is transferred to another room. If the batteries heat the air above 25 degrees, then the air humidity decreases. Dryness appears in the nose and upper respiratory tract of the crumbs, which creates discomfort for the child. In summer, you need to keep the windows open, but do not make drafts so that the baby does not get sick.
Walks in the open air . If your baby was born in the cold season, the duration of walks in the first days should not exceed 10-15 minutes. As soon as the baby adapts to the frosty air, you need to bring the duration of one walk to two hours and take the child outside 2 times a day. In summer, he should be outside as long as possible. The best option is to live with the baby in the country, where feeding, dressing and playing is best done in the yard. When this is not possible, then, going for a walk in the city, choose places that are far from highways. It is very useful for the baby to sleep outside during the day.
Hardening with air procedures . Taking air baths has a beneficial effect on the well-being and mood of the little man. He can take procedures when he is being dressed, doing massage or strengthening exercises. For the first time, you just need to hold the child without clothes for about 3 minutes, gradually adding time, bring it to 10, and after six months - up to a quarter of an hour. At the same time, the air temperature should not cause discomfort in the crumbs due to hypothermia or overheating. It should be reduced gradually during the procedures and only after the baby gets used to the previous thermometer readings.

Water, water, wash my face

Water procedures have a beneficial effect on the baby, and the use of water in hardening activities brings undoubted health benefits. If bathing and washing the crumbs begin from the first day of life, then water can be used as a healing agent only after the end of the postpartum adaptation period (about 1 month).

What applies to water hardening procedures?

Washing exposed parts of the body . Until the baby has reached the age of three months, his face and hands are washed with water at a temperature of 28 degrees, by six months it is reduced to 25, and closer to a year - to twenty. Water is cooled by 1 degree every 3-5 days.
Wiping with a damp towel starts from 3-6 months, depending on the health of the baby. It is better to consult a pediatrician about the readiness of your crumbs for such procedures. First, teach your child to rub with a dry flannel mitt.
The baby is rubbed all over the body until it turns pink . After a week, you can start wet rubdowns. At first, the temperature of a wet flannel mitten or napkin should be 33-34 degrees in summer and 35-36 in winter. The duration of the rubdown is only a few minutes. The baby's hands are wetted from the fingertips to the shoulder, the legs from the very bottom to the hip, and the body from the edge to the center. Every 5 days the water is cooled by 1 degree.
Cool douches . The procedure is carried out after bathing the baby. The water for dousing should be a couple of degrees colder than in the bath. If the child was bathed at a temperature of 37 degrees, then you need to rinse it with water of 35 degrees. Gradually, the water for bathing, and, accordingly, for dousing, is made more and more cool, bringing it to 20 degrees.

Let's chill with the sun

It is necessary to temper the baby with the help of sunlight, being careful, since the skin of the child is very sensitive. Procedures begin after the baby gets used to taking air baths and hardening with water. First, the baby is in the sun in a short-sleeve shirt, a few days later - in a T-shirt, and then just in panties .

It is better to take the baby out into the sun for a walk in the morning, an hour and a half after breakfast. You need to start with a 5-minute stay in the sun, gradually increasing the period of time to half an hour.

In this case, you can not leave the baby in direct sunlight. After the baby has been in the sun, it must be moved to partial shade, where the sun's rays are scattered between the foliage of the trees.

Intensive and contrast hardening

These methods are based on short contact of the child's body with frosty air, cold water or snow. Intensive hardening involves dousing with cold water, wiping with snow or dipping into an ice hole. As a rule, not many parents agree to subject their crumbs to such tests.

Contrast hardening in this regard is a more gentle procedure. These can be foot baths, where the child’s legs are alternately lowered either into cold or warm water, or a contrast shower, when the entire body of the baby undergoes a sharp change in temperature. At first, the difference between warm and cold water should not exceed 4-5 degrees, but gradually this gap is increased by lowering the temperature of cold water..

Many mothers today listen to the opinion of the famous pediatrician, Dr. Komarovsky. Video about hardening methods - Komarovsky.

When starting to harden a little man, the main thing is not to overdo it and not harm your baby.

In order for the baby to grow up strong and healthy, the decrease in temperature during the procedures must be very, very careful. In no case should you allow hypothermia or overheating of the baby.