How to tell if your baby is too hot or too cold? Here are some symptoms to watch out for.
What can you read in this article?
- What is the best temperature for baby's room?
- How to tell if baby is too hot or too cold?
- Can you put the electric fan facing baby? And other questions about your baby's temperature
When it comes to their baby's health, parents can obsess over a lot of things. From their baby's breathing to the sound they make when they cry. It's part and parcel of being a new parent and sometimes, paying attention to these things can save your baby's life.
One of the things parents often wonder about is their baby's temperature. It's because compared to older kids, babies can't communicate if they're feeling hot or too cold.
And compared to us adults, they can't just cover themselves in a blanket if they're feeling chilly or remove a piece of clothing if they're sweating from the heat.
So, how can you tell if your baby is too hot or too cold? We asked our resident pediatrician and TAP mom, Dr. Gellina Suderio-Maala (or Doc Gel) of the University of Perpetual Help Medical Center to educate us on this topic.
Here's the deal about your baby's temperature
According to Doc Gel, knowing the best temperature for your baby depends on his location and other factors like the time of the day and his clothing.
What's the normal body temperature of babies?
To tell if the baby's temperature is normal, it should have a thermometer reading of between 36.5 and 37.5 Celsius, said Doc Gel. Experts believe that while the tactile way or feeling a baby's temperature with your skin can give you an indication if he's feeling hot or cold, the more accurate way of checking his temperature is by using a thermometer.
"The best objective way to know if sobrang init or cold ba ni baby is with the use of the thermometer and the normal temperature is between 36.5 and 37.5," said Doc Gel.
Why is it important to know baby's temperature?
She added that babies have a body surface area and their tendency to release heat is quicker than adults. They lose heat easily and as mentioned, they don't have the skill to regulate their body temperature. This is why just an increase in normal temperature in babies under 3 months is already a cause for concern.
"If the baby kasi nag-drop ang temperature, their oxygen use increases by 10 percent. So siyempre ang metabolism ni baby bumbilis din. Nagagamit niya masyado ang energy niya. Ganoon rin kapag mainit nabibilis din ang metabolism ni baby so hindi natin yun gusto," explained Doc Gel.
How to tell if baby is too hot?
When a child is unwell, one of the signs that parents usually watch out for is fever or an increase in temperature. Sometimes, if their baby feels hot to touch, they might mistake it for fever when in fact, it can be because of overheating.
Not only can overheating make your little one uncomfortable, but it can also increase their risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other concerns, like heat rash, heat exhaustion, or dehydration.
How to tell if your baby is too hot or overheating? Again, Doc Gel recommends using a thermometer to check his temperature. Another way to do this is by feeling the baby's nape or the back of her neck or torso to check if she's warm to touch or sweating.
According to Healthline, here are some other signs that may tell you if your baby is overheating:
- skin feels hot (with or without a fever).
- cheeks or skin looks flushed or red
- is sweating or has damp hair (although bear in mind that babies can be overheated without sweating)
- acts more fussy or restless than usual
- seems overly tired, sluggish, or listless
- feels nauseous or is vomiting
How to avoid overheating in babies?
Parents make the mistake of bundling up their infants with layers of clothes for fear that they might feel cold, which is highly unusual because we live in a tropical country where it can be hot even at night.
According to Doc Gel, letting baby wear loose clothing can help the baby cool down.
"If humid 'yong area, mga presko na damit ang dapat ipasuot," she said.
She also suggests maintaining the recommended room temperature for babies, which is between 22 to 25 degrees Celsius.
Here are some ways to help baby cool down:
- Keep your baby out of direct sunlight, far from the windows especially during the peak hours of the day, which are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Dress your baby in few layers of clothes, especially in the middle of the day.
- Never leave your baby in a vehicle unattended. Heat builds quickly inside cars even on mild days and can lead to overheating or other serious complications.
- If the weather is too hot and there's no air conditioning, you may want to put a cooling patch on baby's forehead.
Can I put the electric fan facing baby when it's hot?
According to Doc Gel, there's nothing wrong with putting the fan facing your baby on a hot day to help regulate her temperature. However, she cautions against the possibility of the dirt and dust on the electric fan that might cause problems to your child's health.
"Wala namang problema doon, basta malinis naman ang electric fan natin. Because sometimes if madumi 'yong electric fan and then your baby is prone to sickness and if ever mababa immune system, hindi natin alam anong meron dun sa electric can itself - mga dust mites, dirt, mga iba’t-ibang pathogens na puwedeng naroon na pwedeng ma-inhale ni baby at mag cause ng sakit sa kanya. So we need to make sure the surroundings of the baby is clean also to ensure that baby is 100 percent safe. Kahit tapatan mo pa siya ng tatlong electric fan, basta malinis at ma maintain yung temperature ni baby," she explained.
READ MORE:
Parent's Guide: 6 essential things you’ll need in baby's nursery
How to tell if baby is cold?
As earlier mentioned, babies lose heat quicker than adults so we should also be cautious if our infant is feeling cold because aside from overheating, overchilling, or getting too cold can also put the baby at risk for SIDS. Same with overheating, Doc Gel recommends checking the baby's temperature with a thermometer and feeling her nape and torso if it is too cold.How to tell if baby is cold? Here are some signs to watch out for:
- Their nape, hands and feet feel cold
- Their skin is pale
- They're fussier than usual
- They sneeze
- They're lethargic or quieter and not playing than usual
How to prevent baby from getting too cold
Again, to prevent your child from feeling too cold, Doc Gel reminds parents to dress their babies according to the weather or the temperature."What I can advise with regards sa clothing ni baby, depende talaga sa location kasi syempre if you’re living in the winter areas, kailangan po na 'yong mga damit nila medyo makakapal para ma maintain yung temperature na 36.5-37.5," said the pediatrician.
Experts recommend adding one layer of clothing for baby during bedtime or if you're using an air conditioner at home.
To keep baby warm, Doc Gel advises swaddling baby. Aside from regulating baby's temperature, it also helps soothe and relax your child.
"Yes, you can do swaddling. It can add heat sa baby especially kapag natutulog. And comfort as well, lalo na 'pag nagstart ka as newborn pa lang na mi-mimic niya kasi ang environment ng baby sa womb ni mommy kaya mas feel niya yung security comfort at warmth kapag nagstart tayong magswaddle ng maaga," Doc Gel explains.
Another reason for the baby feeling cold is the sudden change in temperature during bath time. To avoid this, it's best to keep the baby's bath time short. Try limiting it for under 10 minutes and make sure you dry baby as fast as you can after bath time.
As an added precaution, Doc Gel advises keeping a first aid kit for the baby which includes cooling patches and a working thermometer in case of emergencies.
"I really tell them to prepare first aid kit na nasa baby bag. Naroon na sa first aid kit 'yong thermometer, paracetamol, if kailangan ng cooling patch meron band aids, alcohol- lahat ng dapat nasa first aid kit meron na, tapos nasa baby bag na siya. Para if ma-feel na mainit 'yong torso or malamig yung paa or kamay, dapat meron po tayong working thermometer na always ready para ma check natin ang temperature ng babies," she said.
If you have any questions regarding your baby's temperature, don't hesitate to consult your child's pediatrician.
For other tips about newborn baby care, check out the newborn safety video in the media section of theAsianparent app. You may download it for free on Google Play and the Apple Store.
Source:
Healthline, Romper, What To Expect
Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it's important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn't serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. TheAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.