Doctor’s warning against bathing baby in the kitchen sink due to danger of salmonella

There are so many parts of being a parent that feel like a rite of passage, like popping your tiny bub in the kitchen sink for a bath while they’re so small. 

But though it may seem so cute, it could also be putting your baby at risk. 

A doctor on TikTok has explained why she doesn’t recommend new parents bathe newborns in the sink and shared a warning for parents. 

Watch the video above.

TikTok paediatrician ‘Dr. Beachgem’ said bathing your bub this way poses some “unique hazards” that can become a big problem for newborns. 

She recalled a story about a three-week-old newborn that had come into the emergency room with a fever. 

Newborns have “no immune system”, so the standard procedure is a whole panel of tests to try to work out where the fever had come from. 

These tests look for a serious infection like meningitis, or a bacterial infection. 

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Dr Beachgem preemptively put him on fluids and antibiotics, but quickly got the results of the little one’s labs from the microbiology department: he was infected by salmonella.

“I give parents an update and I start asking some questions,” she said. 

“Any reptiles at home? No. Any farm animal exposure or petting zoos? No. Where does the baby take a bath? In the kitchen sink.”

She kept asking questions and the parents explained that yes, they did prepare raw meat, like chicken, in that area of the kitchen. 

The parents said they did, but would try to clean it well afterwards. 

“Even though the parents did their best to clean the sink before the baby got a bath, this is likely the exposure for the salmonella,” the doctor explained. 

She added that sinks are not meant to be baths, and there’s more chance of slipping or your baby hitting their head on things like the taps because it’s not designed for that purpose. 

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The video, which has been watched over 1.1 million times on TikTok, hit close to home for a lot of parents – and grandparents – who thanked her for the advice. 

“My daughter told me not to bathe my grand in the kitchen sink!! NEVER thought of this! So glad my kids didn’t suffer from my lack of this knowledge! Thank you for sharing,” commented one grandma. 

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One person wrote, “This has been enlightening! I always bath them in the sink because it allows me to feel more in control so they don’t slip when I’m on my knees In a tub but this makes so much sense.”

“My twins got salmonella at 5 months old because of cross contamination in the sink. Now I always recommend washing bottles and pump parts in a separate bowl,” replied one mum. 

Another person commented, “All the bathtubs in the world whyyyy bathe them in a sink.”

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