High temperatures can create many disturbances to the newborn baby: here are the right tips for all parents on how to protect babies from the heat in the summer months.
How to protect babies from the heat
Babies are more sensitive to heat than adults. For this it is necessary to help them defend themselves from the heat and excessive temperatures of the summer months. While the older child can tell if he is hot, the newborn can only make himself understood through crying. It is therefore important to try to perceive all the signals that the little one sends and that can make us think that he is hot, to be able to relieve his discomfort.
High temperatures and humidity, in fact, are a nuisance for the newborn in the first months of life, it is up to you to defend the newborns from the scorching heat by putting into practice some tips on how to defend newborns from the heat, to make them feel better. Heatstroke is common in infants if the right precautions are not taken. However, you must always pay close attention to sudden changes in temperature to avoid colds or other ailments, especially if you use air conditioning at home or while traveling by car.
How to protect babies from the heat: What not to do
Sometimes it is thought that putting a sheet over the baby's stroller can protect the baby from the heat. In reality it is an incorrect behavior that puts the child's life at risk. By putting a sheet on, the risk is that the air circulation is reduced and the temperatures rise dramatically, exceeding 40 degrees. The advice is therefore always to not expose children to intense heat, not to go out in the hours most at risk, always leaving the child exposed to the air without a sheet.
During the hottest hours of the day, it is best to avoid going out with the baby. At home you can try to cool the rooms to lower the temperature a little. If you are using a fan, it should never be aimed directly at the child. If you have an air conditioner, set it at a temperature of about 26 °, always taking into account the outside temperature (and avoiding that the thermal shock is too high). Even in the car you can use the air conditioning while traveling, but the difference with the outside must not be greater than 5/7 degrees.
Protect babies from the sun
If you are at the beach, babies can be brought to the beach in the coolest hours of the day: from 8.00 to 10.00 in the morning and after 18.00 in the afternoon. However, even at these times it is better to avoid exposing them too much to direct sunlight and you should always use a sunscreen with a protection factor of 50. In the central hours of the day it is better to stay at home to avoid heat stroke. If you are in the mountains, do not take babies to heights that are too high (above 2,000 meters) and remember to protect them from the sun's rays. When you go out, you should dress the baby in cotton or linen clothes, to be preferred over synthetic fibers, and it is better to choose clothes with light colors, which do not absorb too much heat. If it is excessively hot, you can also leave the baby alone in a light bodysuit or t-shirt. And if you go to a cooler environment or with air conditioning, just cover it with the cot sheet. Even a hat can be useful against the risk of sunstroke.
How to protect babies from the heat: while sleeping
Sweating is important because it helps the baby to regulate body temperature. New mothers often worry because the baby sweats a lot while sleeping or often has a sweaty head. In these cases it is always good to check that the baby is not too covered. You have to check the nape of the baby's neck, which is the most important point from which you can tell if the baby is hot or cold. In fact, if the nape is cold, then the baby may be too bare. On the other hand, if the back of the neck is hot and sweaty, it means that the baby is hot and will probably be too covered. It will therefore be necessary to find out a little. If he is sweaty, it is always better to change him, to prevent him from cooling down due to a blow of air. If your baby sweats too much, you can try to cool him down with a damp cloth or take a bath. After the bath, the baby's skin must be moisturized with a special cream to rebalance the natural pH.
Sweaty baby on the back
While on the move, to protect babies from the heat both in the car and on foot, it is best to put a cotton or linen sheet between the baby and the car seat / seat or stroller. This is because, being padded, the baby's seat or stroller can become excessively hot and cause the baby to sweat on his back. And by the time you pick him up, his shirt may be wet with sweat and risk getting cold. Always carry a change of clothes in your bag, so you can put him in a dry dress if he is sweaty. Never leave them in the parked car, not even for a few minutes, because the temperature of babies rises much faster than that of adults and it only takes 20 minutes to risk an excessive rise.
What to do if the baby eats little in the heat
In hot weather, babies may have less appetite. Mothers often worry because they think the baby should eat more, but that's not necessarily the case. A little lack of appetite caused by the heat is normal, but we must always remember that sometimes we parents think that they have eaten too little, in reality that " little " is enough for the baby. In the first months, the newborn is checked periodically by the pediatrician to assess growth. If he continues to grow regularly and does not lose weight, it means he is getting enough milk and we don't need to worry. Between a check-up and the other at the pediatrician, also pay attention to the number of diapers you change every day: if the baby wets at least 6/7 a day and regularly poops, it means that the milk he takes is enough.
How to protect babies from heat while they sleep
The summer heat can disturb the baby's sleep, making them more nervous and causing them to wake up several times during the night. For this we must try to create an environment suitable for bedtime. During the day, ventilate the bedroom. If you use the air conditioner, keep the temperature between 20 and 26 degrees, with a maximum humidity of 60%. The important thing is not to direct the air directly on the baby's crib. If you don't have an air conditioner, you can use a baby humidifier. Do not cover the baby with heavy pajamas or blankets. If you have the conditioner just put the leotard and a summer pajama on him, while without the conditioner you can leave them only with the leotard.
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