How Hot Is Too Hot For A Baby Outside? You Need To Follow These Guidelines
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Imagine you have stepped out of the house, with your baby in tow, to the nearby grocery. You’d have walked only a couple of steps towards the grocery and you already have beads of sweat rolling down your face and neck. If you feel this way, in all probability, so does your baby. During summers, when the temperatures rise at the drop of a hat, it’s important to keep your baby safe from the dangers of extreme heat. But how are we to know exactly what temperature is too hot for a baby to handle? If you observe a few guidelines (mentioned below) closely, you’ll be able to figure out yourself when it is safe to venture out in the sun with your baby and when it is not.
Cause
First things first, why do we actually need to worry when stepping out with infants in a hot weather? Babies have well-developed sweat glands since the time of birth. These sweat glands help them cool themselves when they experience extreme heat, just like adults. However, it is simple logic that their tiny bodies cannot retain many fluids and once the sweat dries, they cannot replenish themselves as frequently as adults as, especially newborns who are only on breastmilk. Therefore, they tend to dehydrate quickly. This could lead to heat exhaustion or a heat stroke in extreme cases.
Symptoms
Whenever you step out with your baby in warm temperatures, make sure you are alert enough to notice certain signs that’ll suggest your baby has dehydration or heat exhaustion.
Dehydration: Sleepy or droopy, unusually irritable or thirsty, stretched skin, sunken eyes or fontanel (soft spot on the skull), frequent crying with less or no tears, dry lips and less amount of pee in the diapers. All these suggest your baby may be suffering from dehydration.
Heat Exhaustion: Apart from the above-mentioned symptoms, if your baby looks extremely tired or thirsty and the skin turns moist and cool due to excessive sweating, he/she may be suffering from heat exhaustion.
Heat Stroke: Once a baby suffers from heat exhaustion, it’s a red flag to sit up and take control of the situation as that can quickly escalate into a heat stroke. Vomiting, fever, restlessness, and a drastic increase in pulse are some of the signs of a heat stroke.
Treatment
The immediate response to a baby’s heat-related condition should be to remove the baby from the hot condition and move him/her to a cooler area. Dip a clean washcloth in tepid water, squeeze, and wipe the baby’s skin, like a sponge bath (but do not use a sponge), and fan the baby while the skin is still damp. This will help bring down the body heat gradually. Do not use alcohol wipes, dip the baby in a tub of water, or pour cold water over him/her. This could prove to be dangerous. For babies above 6 months, mix a spoonful of sugar and a pinch of salt in a glass of water and feed it drop by drop to rehydrate until the baby is in a position to breastfeed again. Most importantly, go by your instincts and visit a doctor immediately if you feel you should.
Precaution
The best precaution is to avoid going out in the hot weather as much as possible. Even when you are at home, or if you really have to venture out, make sure you dress the baby in light, airy clothes of natural fiber, like cotton. Carry an extra pair to change if the baby tends to sweat more.
If you are planning to travel by car, DO NOT leave the baby inside the car, even with an AC on or open windows. It’s like leaving your baby in an oven, which could prove fatal.
Babies are tender and fragile. They need to be handled with care, especially in hot weathers. Even after taking every precaution, it is prudent to visit a doctor just to be sure of your baby’s health.
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