What advice is there to protect babies from the heat?
Dr. Valleteau de Moulliac,
Pediatric Consultant for Laboratoires Sarbec
Heat and babies do not mix well, and heat can sometimes be more dangerous than the sun:
your little baby’s thermoregulation is not yet effective, and exposure to excessive heat can cause a rise in their temperature and a loss of water from their body, with a risk of sometimes severe dehydration.
This is the “heat stroke” that you must absolutely avoid when the thermometer rises…
So if it’s hot (over 25-28°C):
- Dress your baby lightly: a short-sleeved cotton bodysuit, and at night, no sheet or blanket.
- Cool your baby down often: use lukewarm water on the body, neck, hair, torso, and face, with a spray bottle if needed, or by slightly dampening their clothes or hat.
- Give your baby fresh water to drink regularly (or rehydration solutions for very young babies) in small amounts to prevent dehydration: when it’s hot, babies need to drink more, just like adults.
- Never force your baby to eat. Heat reduces appetite.
- Take your baby out during the coolest hours (avoid 11AM/4-5PM) in a well-ventilated stroller with a sunshade rather than a baby carrier, which keeps them warm. For naps, provide shade with a light cloth to prevent insect bites.
- At home, to get rid of the heat, air out their room with windows open and shutters closed, both day and night. A fan (or better, air conditioning) can be useful: their room should ideally be at 18/20°C, which can be hard to achieve in very hot weather. Don’t hesitate to bathe your baby often to cool them down.
- Avoid heat in the car (use air conditioning or ventilation), travel during the coolest hours, and stop (in the shade) every 2 hours during long trips to let your baby get some air. Cool and hydrate your baby regularly, and place a towel between them and the car seat. Never leave your baby alone in the car, even in the shade, not even for a few minutes, as the temperature inside can rise very quickly.
- Avoid the beach until your baby is 1 year old, except at the end of the day in the shade of a parasol.
This way you’ll avoid “heat stroke”: which shows up as a high fever, behavioral changes: your baby becomes groggy, unwell, limp, or irritable.
Signs of dehydration may then appear. In this case, undress your baby in a cool, airy room, check their temperature, give them something to drink (water or, better, rehydration solutions) but if they don’t recover quickly, consult a doctor!
