The babies in this group were given the first bath in the form of wiping baths. The bathing application was carried out by the midwife working in the unit and experienced in bathing newborns.

The newborn's clothes except the diaper are removed, the newborn is wrapped in a towel, the newborn's face and body are wiped clean with a skin cleanser and cotton cloth compatible with the baby's skin, the diaper is removed and the genital area is wiped, the baby's body is wiped with a cloth moistened with water (37-39 oc), the body is dried, the baby's body is wrapped in a dry towel, the baby's head is washed with a shampoo compatible with the baby's skin, the baby's head is dried and a hat is put on, The newborn was dressed in clothes.

The first bath of the babies in this group was in the form of a wrap-up bath, in which the baby was wrapped and placed in the bathtub. The bathing application was carried out by the midwife working in the unit and experienced in bathing newborns.

The newborn's clothes were removed, the newborn was wrapped in a towel, the newborn was slowly immersed in water wrapped in a towel in a bathtub with a maximum of 7 cm of water at the appropriate temperature (37-39 oC), the towel was gently opened and the baby's body was gently cleaned with a suitable cleansing product and a cotton swab, including the torso, legs and genital area, the baby's head was wetted and washed with a shampoo compatible with the baby's skin, the baby's head was rinsed by pouring water from the hairline, The baby's torso was gently removed from the bathtub and rinsed, the newborn baby was dried and then dressed in clothes.

The first bath of the babies in this group was in the form of a shower bath. The bathing application was carried out by the midwife working in the unit and experienced in bathing newborns.

The newborn's clothes are removed, the newborn's body is soaked with water at the appropriate temperature (37-39 oC) under running water, the body is washed with the appropriate skin cleanser and cotton cloth, the head is washed with the appropriate shampoo for the baby's skin, the whole body is rinsed under running water, the whole body is dried with a towel and the clothes are dressed.

The babies in this group were given the first bath in the form of wiping baths. The bathing application was carried out by the midwife working in the unit and experienced in bathing newborns.

The newborn's clothes except the diaper are removed, the newborn is wrapped in a towel, the newborn's face and body are wiped clean with a skin cleanser and cotton cloth compatible with the baby's skin, the diaper is removed and the genital area is wiped, the baby's body is wiped with a cloth moistened with water (37-39 oc), the body is dried, the baby's body is wrapped in a dry towel, the baby's head is washed with a shampoo compatible with the baby's skin, the baby's head is dried and a hat is put on, The newborn was dressed in clothes.

Developed by researchers based on the literature (Taşdemir, 2017; Tibik and Şener, 2024) this form, physiological variables of the newborn; heart rate (min), respiratory rate (min), oxygen saturation value (%SpO2%), body temperature (°C) and neonatal skin condition score were used to record the evaluation results. The physiological parameters of the newborn were evaluated three times in each group: just before, immediately after bathing and 30 minutes after bathing.

Developed by researchers based on the literature (Çeçen, 2023; Taşdemir and Efe, 2025). Skin moisture monitoring was measured with a skin moisture meter and recorded in the form. Skin moisture measurement was made by the same nurse from the determined areas (forehead, abdomen, forearm and upper leg) just before the bath and at the 6th, 12th hour and 24th hour after the bath. The Skin Moisture Meter is used to measure the amount of moisture at any point of the body only by contact with the skin, with its precise measurement feature. The humidity measurement of the device is in the range of 0% - 99.9%. The moisture meter weighs 40° and works effectively at ambient temperatures between 5° and 40° C (Konar et al., 2020).

The neonatal stress scale was developed by Ceylan and Bolışık (2017) to assess the stress level in premature babies. The scale includes 8 subgroups including facial expression, body color, respiration, activity level, consolation, muscle tone, extremities and posture and consists of a total of 24 items in 3-point Likert type. In scoring, each subgroup is evaluated between 0-2 points. The score obtained from the scale is a minimum of 0 points and a maximum of 16 points. An increase in the score indicates that the baby's stress level has increased. Cronbach's Alpha values of the scale ranged from 0.65 to 0.81 for Observer 1 and 0.69 to 0.78 for Observer 2 (Ceylan and Bolışık 2017). The stress level of the newborns was evaluated 5 times through the Neonatal Stress Scale, 10 minutes before bathing, during the bath, immediately after the bath, 15 minutes after the bath, and 30 minutes after the bath.