How to keep your Baby Healthy during Weather changes?

It is a common observation that baby falls sick when weather change occurs. Even adults at home are down with viral fever, colds and fever due to infections. Follow these simple steps to keep your baby healthy and prevent baby from getting sick.

Breast feed and Immunize:

Your baby’s immune system will be strong with breast feeding and following the immunization calendar  promptly. Do ensure to breastfeed your baby for the first six months and also ensure the vaccinations schedules are adhered to.

Dress for the weather:

Dress your baby as the weather demands. In summer preferable choose light colors and light wear. In winters dress the baby in layers such that you can add or remove clothing as the weather change occurs and the sun is up. Ensure your baby is dressed comfortably.

Bathe your baby safely:

Maintain less gap for the baby after a massage to avoid catching a cold. The solution is to avoid exposing your baby to sudden temperature changes. Ensure there is no contact with cool or chilled air during massage or bathing process. Select baby’s bath time when the baby is least likely to feel cold. Dress up the baby and then only put on the fan. Follow precautions while putting on the AC or air cooler.

Provide a Balanced diet:

Maintain a balanced diet when your baby moves to solids. A good diet provides vitamins and minerals she needs to help fight infections. If the child is a fussy eater, make sure she gets enough vitamins and minerals.

Follow hygiene:

Babies are very sensitive and catch infections quickly from people passing by too. Therefore ensure you maintain a hygienic environment and avoid sneezing, coughing with the baby around. Wash hands with disinfectant prior to handling the baby.

Cleaning Baby accessories:

Ensure toys are not left on the floor. If washable clean them. Ensure the rooms and surroundings are not dusty. If your baby goes to a Day care center inform and create awareness to maintain hygiene while feeding and handling the baby. Restrict movement of street wear inside the rooms. Seek support from other parents to practice hygiene.

Inspite  of all your best efforts your little one may fall sick once in a while. Your precautionary measures will keep the baby free from repeated illnesses. Getting sick is a way to challenge baby’s immune system. Do not delay visit to the doctor upon observing symptoms of sickness, cold, diarrhea, vomiting etc.

Hope you have a better understanding to keep your baby healthy during weather changes. Irrespective of the season, do not be worried over small illnesses observed. Take good care and avoid baby falling severely sick as it will take time to recover from any illness however minor it may sound.

Do not break down. Be alert when the baby has fever and give medications timely. The baby will be back with bouncing energy to make you happy.

It is not safe to use an Air Conditioner(AC) or Air cooler for a newborn baby?

Yes, it is not safe to use an Air Conditioner(AC) or Air cooler for a newborn baby if you do not follow the basic precautionary measures. Pediatricians recommend to keep the baby in cool and airy environment than to let him remain in hot, airless and humid environment.

Babies are delicate and cannot adjust to external weather changes quickly as adults do. This is the main reason for babies to get affected with overheat and associated illnesses such as prickly heat, heat rash, dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

It is generally observed that babies sleep well and are comfortable when the room is properly cooled and ventilated. This will nullify the chances of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Watch out that the room does not become too cold i.e too low than the baby’s body temperature and chill him. This could lead to other health complications.

You need to follow these precautionary measures to keep your baby safe and comfortable in hot summer days while using an AC or air cooler.

1. Ensure the room temperature is between 23 and 27 deg C

External heat changes and humidity variations can have an impact on the functioning of the AC or air cooler. Your room can get too cold very quickly making it uncomfortable for the baby. Baby will be restless due to too much coolness.

• For AC: Set the timer for the duration it takes to cool the room. If your AC does not have an inbuilt timer, you can use an alarm clock for convenience of reminding. If your AC does not have a temperature display, maintain a thermometer in the room to monitor the temperature and manage your newborn baby.
• If your room has an air cooler, leave a window or door partly open to let the flow of air. This is mandatory in monsoon when the weather is humid. As the Air cooler evaporates water to cool the room, it increases the humidity in the air. If the room is closed, the humidity keeps going up, cooling will stop and the room becomes extremely hot and sticky.

In humid weather it is suggested to use a fan or AC in place of an air cooler.

2. No direct blow of cold air from the AC or air cooler

Cover your baby with light layers especially a light cap for his head, small cotton socks to cover his feet. Dress your baby in thin cotton clothes to protect his legs and arms. Use light colors as dark colors will absorb heat. Keeping him covered will avoid direct cold air.

If you are covering the baby with a cloth / thin blanket ensure it does not cover his face ( avoiding suffocation incidents)

Too much of clothes and wrapping him snugly will make the baby uncomfortable, remember basic protection from cold air is sufficient.

Read: How To Keep Your Baby Comfortable and Healthy in Summer

Other watch outs while using AC or Air cooler:

• Service your AC / Air cooler timely to allow clean and efficient cooling. You will not come across surprises like breakdowns during peak summer making your baby sick and inactive.
• Moisturize your newborn baby’s skin as the AC / cooler air will make the skin dry. Few moms place a basin with water in the room to make the room moist.
• Avoid taking your baby to warmer conditions immediately from an AC room. Sudden temperature changes will make the baby feel sick. Ideally you need to switch off the AC and make him get used to the room temperature and then plan to go out in the hot weather.
• If you plan traveling by car, cool down by keeping the windows open for some time and then putting on the AC especially if the car was out in the sun. This will remove all trapped air. The hot air external air blowing in from the windows can be risky and may cause nose bleeding. Avoid direct blast of external hot air.
• If the baby is placed in a cradle ensure there is sufficient air for the baby and there are no obstructions.

You can follow the traditional way to keep the room cool during a power cut, blow with a handmade fan. Place the baby on the floor and dress him with light clothes. Ensure baby’s movement is monitored.

Draw the curtains to avoid direct sun rays. Thick curtain materials will keep the bright rays out. Make the baby become equipped at all weather conditions. It isn’t required to use the AC or air cooler all the time. When it isn’t hot and humid you can use the ceiling fan and maintain temperature of the room.

Keep a close watch on your newborn babies routine and make adjustments to suit your baby’s health. More care should be taken for a premature baby in hot sultry conditions.Concluding with the message that is is safe to use an AC or Air cooler provided you follow basic precautionary measures like room temperature maintenance,etc…