Most of us love summer. But it shouldn't be too hot. Summer heat can be a real pain for us too. And even more so for your baby. What's more, heat can quickly become very dangerous for him.
Hot summer days are a particular challenge for the youngest members of the family. This is because babies are not yet able to regulate their own body temperature sufficiently before their first birthday. Very young children in particular are not yet able to do this because their autonomic nervous system is not yet mature enough. That's why your little one needs you to provide relief in high summer temperatures.
Let's first clarify what the weather service means by "midsummer temperatures": A simple "summer day" is a day on which the air temperature reaches or slightly exceeds 25.0° Celsius. Many of us might still find this pleasant - but not babies. A "hot day" is when the air temperature reaches 30.0°C and above. Before this causes real problems for babies, parents need to take action.
However, not everything that is helpful or beneficial for adults in the heat is also good for babies. For example, we "grown-ups" always feel a sense of relief when the draught from a fan blows around our noses on hot days. Babies, on the other hand, should not be exposed to the fan airflow or draughts. They can quickly cool down and catch a cold. For this reason, the cot should never be exposed to a draught.
I've put together some tips for you on how to get your little ones through hot summer days and stay cool at the same time.
Avoid heat: In high temperatures, it is better not to leave the house at all with newborns if possible. If you can't do this on some days, your time outside should be reduced to the absolute minimum: Only go out with your child when absolutely necessary. And above all, avoid lunchtime as the warmest time of day when you need to be out and about with your baby.
Pay attention to ozone levels: A look at the daily ozone concentration outside also shows when it may be more advisable to stay at home with your child. You should plan to spend time outdoors in the early morning. During the course of the day, the highest ozone levels occur between 2 and 5 pm. Therefore, it is best to air the children's room only in the morning.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the average value should not exceed 100 micrograms of ozone per cubic metre of air (µg/m³). However, this is viewed differently in Europe. Here, 120 µg/m³ is the limit value that can already be harmful to health. If the ozone concentration exceeds 180 (µg/m³), certain behavioural rules (e.g. no outdoor sports) are considered necessary. From the threshold value of 240 µg/m³, the authorities issue an ozone alert. However, these values are all based on adult persons aligned. Children are not even included!
However, ozone poses a major risk, especially for babies and small children with their high oxygen requirements: at rest, they breathe in proportionally as much air as an adult - in other words, they absorb many times more ozone in relation to their size. The younger your child is, the more sensitive they are to high ozone levels.
If it is sunny and hot for several days in a row, the ozone concentration rises. This is particularly the case from May to September. Ozone is a so-called greenhouse gas that penetrates the respiratory tract. It can irritate the mucous membranes and eyes, trigger a dry cough or cause shortness of breath and even asthma attacks.
By the way: Even if you are pregnant and especially in the last months of pregnancy, you should be careful with elevated ozone levels, because pregnant women have a reduced respiratory volume.
Stay in the shade with a child: It is not only for very young babies that your child should not be exposed to direct sunlight. The right place for your child outdoors is therefore always in the shade to prevent sunburn and sunstroke. Children's delicate skin has not yet developed its own UV protection.
Nevertheless, the recommendation is to avoid sun cream in the first year of life. The chemical ingredients would put too much strain on the still very sensitive skin of the little ones. If a Sun protection cream it is important that it is mineral-based and has a high sun protection factor.
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Keep children's rooms cool: If you block out the sun, which heats up the room through the window, with blinds, drawn curtains or similar, you can also ensure more pleasant temperatures in the children's room. For gentle cooling through evaporating water, damp (hand) towels hung up in the room are ideal. If your window curtains allow it, you can also moisten them with a flower sprayer.
Do not additionally "heat up" the baby:I know many parents who do not wear their baby in a sling or baby carrier for long periods of time on hot days. In principle, the advantages of babywearing are of course beyond question, you can read more about this in here read.
However, the wearing devices act like an additional layer of clothing. You can imagine what that means on hot days: If the baby is also snuggled up close to mum or dad's body, it gets really "heated up". That's why it's important that your baby is carried in a carrier or baby wrap, especially on hot days. Sling that is made exclusively from breathable materials (e.g. 100% cotton).
On hot days, it therefore makes more sense for many mums to transport their baby in a pushchair. But caution is also advised here. To prevent heat build-up in the pushchair, do not cover the opening on the hood with a cloth - no matter how thin - to protect it from the sun. This can quickly lead to a dangerous build-up of heat. A Parasol or sail also protects and guarantees air circulation.
Choose suitable clothing: Bodysuits, rompers, shirts etc. made from natural materials such as cotton, silk, linen or bamboo fibres are a good choice, and not just for warmth. They allow baby's skin to breathe. At the same time, the fabric absorbs moisture. This means that little ones benefit from a pleasantly cool feeling.
Special UV protective clothing for children is available for the beach, swimming lake or outdoor pool. In summer, a breezy outdoor Sun hathead and neck against the sun is an indispensable accessory. Headgear for babies and toddlers is also often equipped with extra UV protection. Ideally, they also have a protective cloth flap sewn on to cover the ears and neck.
Babies are also sensitive to large temperature differences. They can cool down quickly when they move from a warm environment to a cool room. Parents can compensate for this with clothing. A light cloth that you wrap your baby in is often enough.
If you're unsure whether your baby is too warm or too cold, the tried and tested method of touching the back of your child's neck with two fingers will help. If it feels pleasantly warm there, everything is fine. If the skin is damp or sweaty, the child is too warm and parents should act immediately. However, it is also important that you pay attention to the temperature of the hands and feet. These should always be comfortably warm.
A cotton bodysuit with long sleeves in a thin summer sleeping bag is usually enough for your child to sleep in on warm summer nights. There are also combinations of bodysuits and sleeping bags. These Body romper are particularly practical when it is very warm.
If it's suitable, you can also remove the baby's bum from its skin, at least temporarily, when it's very hot. Nappy free. Not only do the little ones love to romp around freely underneath, but the measure also provides air on their bum. It can get unhealthily warm under impermeable disposable nappies.
Refresh with water: There's no doubt that splashing in, around and with water on warm summer days is a great way to cool off and have fun. This also applies to babies. However, refrain from bathing your baby in a lake, the sea or an unheated swimming pool. They would cool down too quickly.
For a little refreshment at home, you can take your child for a swim in the lukewarm Splash in a water bath. Alternatively, a damp flannel can be used to dab baby's body to cool it down. The moisture evaporates on the skin and cools it down. Here too, please only lukewarm Use water.
Quench your thirst in addition to your milk meals? I am often asked whether babies who are still exclusively breastfed or bottle-fed need additional fluids in the form of water or unsweetened tea on hot days. I can assure you of this: NO.
Breast milk is always a little more watery at the beginning of a breastfeeding session to quench the baby's thirst. After the baby has suckled for a while, the milk becomes richer for energy replenishment. So simply offer your fully breastfed baby the breast more often on warm and hot days. It may also ask for it more often itself, but drink less often to quench its thirst.
And also the Baby food from the bottle is designed and formulated so that infants do not need any additional liquid.
The situation is different if your child is already in the transition to toddlerhood and is already well into the introduction of the Complementary food is. In this case, you can also offer him some water. Fruit and vegetables with a high water content are now also a welcome refreshment. Slightly chilled watermelon, strawberries, apricots, tomatoes or cucumber, for example, are now a treat for your little one. By the way: Frozen, slightly defrosted fruit can be easily pureed and possibly mixed with a dollop of natural yoghurt or quark. This makes a refreshing, healthy ice cream that not only the youngest children will enjoy.
Because babies react so sensitively to temperature differences, it is important that you can also recognise and react to the symptoms of thermal emergencies, i.e. excessive heat and hypothermia. Here you can find the right Online first aid course for babies and children.
