When my first child was born it was hard to determine sometimes when he was cold or warm. I used my own internal temperature. When I was warm, a t-shirt and shorts worked fine. If needed, I could take him all the way down to a diaper and know there was not much else to take off.
Winter was a different story. When I was cold, I layered him so that we could remove or add back as needed, but many times I wasn’t sure if what I put on him was too much. My son never seemed to mind, but he also couldn’t vocalize, “Hey mom, I’m hot.”
Winter has blossomed everywhere in the U.S. and in my little corner, I have noticed an array of how parents bundle their children. From “not enough clothing” to “way too much the baby will suffocate.”
But regardless of what stage of parent you are, a new “over clothed” parent, or a seasoned “it’s not too cold” parent, a baby’s body can not adjust to the cold temperatures to keep their bodies warm like an adult can. Bundling up is your child’s best protection.
There are three things according to RN Jan Nissi, parents need to consider and remember when bundling baby up for an outing:
- Body surface
- Shivering
- Fat
Mom and dad are more proportioned when it comes to weight compared to body surface. We are able to maintain our body heat but a baby’s body will lose their body heat at a faster rate because their large body surface.
Shivering is something everyone does when it is cold outside, but have you noticed your little one? Baby’s body doesn’t react to cold, so he won’t shiver like you will, which is our bodies way of creating internal warmth, combined with your layered clothing, keeps you warm.
As adults, we also have an added layer to our body – fat. Our fat layer is like our own personal blanket to help keep us warm. Our baby’s body does not have enough fat to help keep warmth in and keep them warm.
So, I feel better knowing that I didn’t bundle my son too much and my daughter five years later was just fine, having learned from my first. I do limit exposure to the cold though; keep outings to a short amount of time and try shopping inside stores instead of our outside mall.
Cold Exposure in Babies, Author Jan Nissi, RN, BS. Yahoo Health, provided by Healthwise.
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