Babies & Heat

Tips on how to help your baby tolerate the heat a little better.

BABIES are very sensitive towards heat.

Babies' bodies have not yet mastered heat regulation, so they often have a hard time dealing with heat or cold.

Our top tips for helping your baby through a hot period of days:

Sun

Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight is taboo for babies up to one year of age. Direct sun is not only hot, but also the sensitive skin is not yet sufficiently protected.
Newborns should generally stay at home in particularly hot weather - they cannot yet regulate their body temperature. Rather plan a walk in the cool morning or early evening.

Read more about this in our blog post Babies & Sun.

Sunscreen

No sunscreen should be used for the first year, and after that it is best to use one with mineral protection.

Water & Food

Fully breastfed babies don't need extra fluids - breast milk is enough.  They simply drink more breast milk or bottle milk.
If the baby is already being given solid foods, other fluids such as water, unsweetened teas, and highly diluted fruit and vegetable juices should increasingly be offered in addition to the breast milk / bottle milk that continues to be fed.

The total recommended amount of fluids (including breast milk) is:

• Babies who have not started solids yet: NO additional water, as this dilutes the mineral balance in the blood - this is even dangerous. Please offer them the breast or formula more often. If they already eat around 2-3 meals of solids you can add some water during the day.
• Children from 1 to 4 years: about 600 - 900 ml or also a little more if it is really hot.
• Children over 4 years: At least 1 liter

Food for older children who are already receiving complementary food

• Fruit porridge
• Watermelon without seeds or other fruit containing as much water as possible
• cold soups like gazzpacho or cold cucumber soup (if your child likes this) without seeds
• Ice cream without sugar: puree frozen, but already thawed fruit in a blender and offer it as a refreshing snack, possibly plus some yogurt.

Clothes

Do not dress the baby warmer than yourself! Best cotton, silk or linen - this is more airy and absorbs sweat best. This also prevents the development of heat pimples.

If possible let the baby completely naked at times - also without diaper.

A cap is always a must - it protects against sun and drafts.

As a general rule, touch the back of your baby's neck. If the neck feels warm but not hot, everything is fine. If your child sweats on the back of the neck, he or she is dressed too warmly.

Also remember that babies cool down quickly in cool rooms, especially if they have been sweating before. Now the baby needs a light cover again to be able to keep the warmth. Usually a thin cloth or cloth diaper will suffice.

The right sleeping clothes:

• A short-sleeved cotton bodysuit and a thin sleeping bag are sufficient for sleeping in summer.
• No drafts when sleeping
  Drafts are basically bad for babies. They can easily get chilled and catch a cold. Therefore, NO fans in the nursery. Open windows only when there is no draft.

Stroller instead of sling / Carrier

It is better to use a stroller than a carrier - because it gets even warmer with mom's warmth. Provide good ventilation in the stroller and use a sun sail. 

Cooling down for babies

• Splash around in (warm) water. Babies love a refreshing bath in summer but make sure the water is warm not cold, because babies cool down very quickly. When bathing for a longer period of time, babies need a temperature of about 38 degrees. Of course, the little feet can be briefly dipped into cooler water.
• Towel pool: Spread water on a towel until small puddles form. You can also put toys in the puddles to explore.
• Wash your baby off with a lukewarm washcloth. When the water evaporates, it has a pleasant cooling effect. Caution: under no circumstances should your baby lie in a draft!
• A clotheshorse with damp towels or sticking damp towels in the windows also brings relief. This cools the room down gently.

Do you want more information on Babies and Swimming? Check out our blog post about this.

Juli 2021 - Gravidamiga 
This blog post has been prepared with the greatest possible care and does not claim to be correct, complete or up-to-date.“ This is not a sponsored post and it does NOT substitute a visit to a doctor.

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