The fall and winter months are magical for children. With holiday plans and traveling to visit relatives, kids are going to have many exciting experiences. But while enjoying the festivities your baby can be exposed to harsh, even potentially dangerous weather, and the last thing you want them to experience is hypothermia or frostbite.
photo by Tyler Holloway – Little Wayne Mag
You may opt to keep the fun indoors on especially cold days, but even on days that appear mild, it’s important to note that hypothermia can occur in temperatures as high as 50-60 degrees when it is also damp and windy. Because newborns, infants, and young children have a larger surface area compared to body weight, they lose heat faster than older children and adults which makes them more likely to develop hypothermia. It would be easy if your baby could tell you when they’re cold but since they can’t, you’ll have to rely on other signs to determine when to put on warmer clothes or head inside.
April Morris, MSN-CPNP at Pointe Pediatrics in Grosse Pointe Woods and mother of seven, says “I tell my parents, what you want to think about really is where children lose the most heat from, and little kids lose the most heat from their head, their tummy and their feet. Also in the winter time, you want to think about their hands as well. And so, covering up their head is always a good thing, especially little ones who don’t have a lot of hair. A lot of times, parents don’t think about shoes because maybe the child’s not walking yet. But in the winter time, socks alone are not always enough. A pair of shoes, even crib shoes are great to have just to make sure that they are keeping all that heat in.”
The best way to ensure your child stays warm is to dress them properly before leaving home. According to CNN, babies and children should be dressed according to their age group.
photo by Tyler Holloway – Little Wayne Mag
Newborns and infants under six-weeks-old should remain inside, and any necessary trips should be kept brief. Your friends and family will understand this need to stay home and should either wait to meet the newest member of the family or come to you. If venturing out, put on many thin layers (you can always take them off if it becomes too warm). After dressing, wrap them snuggly in a blanket to help trap heat. You can also carry your baby in their carrier close to you, under your own jacket, to share the body heat you produce more easily than they do. Once you return indoors be sure to remove those layers to avoid the child from becoming too hot or overheating. This age group has just as much trouble getting and staying cool as they do warm. “The opposite side of being too cold is getting too hot which can also happen and often times is the thing that we see patients more and more for than being too cold. People overheat by bundling them just a little too much,” says Morris.
After the first six months and under a year, dressing becomes a little easier. For most, a good rule of thumb is one layer more than what you are wearing. A great option is a hooded snowsuit with the hood up, so ears are covered from exposure. Heat escapes quickly from the head, hands, and feet. So a hat, gloves, and thick socks are a necessity. Baby boots should be loose enough to fit one or two pairs of socks.
photo by Tyler Holloway – Little Wayne Mag
Between one and five-years-old, children become more active and that activity should be taken into consideration. Morris says, “as far as going out and playing in the snow, I do tell parents that for kids five and under you want to bring them in about every half hour to 45 minutes just to make sure that they are staying warm just because it’s not necessarily that they aren’t dressing them appropriately, but if they’re out playing in the snow they can get wet and because they’re wet their body temperature will drop significantly faster. If they’re under three, I also don’t recommend for them to be outside playing in the snow, because their temperature is not as stable as children who are older and they can lose their body heat so much faster. You want to monitor how wet they get as well.” Snowsuits are still great at this age for minimizing the entry points of cold air and snow. Make sure the fit is snug around the child’s neck, wrists, and ankles. You may opt to replace scarves with turtlenecks, as scarves can get caught on things while your child is playing.
Once you have properly dressed your child, you should still check them occasionally to ensure they aren’t too hot, too cold or wet. Use your senses such as sight, hearing and touch to access their needs.
Your baby’s hands should be warm to the touch, and checking them is a good place to start when you are monitoring their temperature. A better indicator is their stomach and chest. If their torso is cool to the touch, add more layers. If you suspect they may be too warm, feel their feet. The baby’s feet should be cool, but not cold. If their feet and stomach are both warm, you may need to remove some layers of clothing.
Besides feeling for cold which can be difficult if you are driving or otherwise engaged, listen to your child. A cold baby will usually become fussy if no other problems exist. If they are unusually still and quiet, they may be lethargic which is a sign of hypothermia.
Skin that is exposed to cold weather turns red as blood vessels burst which is most noticeable on the cheeks, but pale face and lips are indicators that your child needs warmth. “Shivering is one of the things we look for to kind of let us know that the body is trying to raise the temperature on its own,” says Morris. “Warming them up slowly is very important. You don’t want to do that too quickly because that can cause the body to react in a negative way. So, if you see your child starting to shiver you want to cover them with a blanket and try to keep them warm. We also recommend that you can do a warm bath- anything that is over body temperature. 98.6 or 100 degrees is going to be warm, not hot though, that way it will help warm them up. But getting them dry is going to be a key to getting them to not continue to lose body heat.”
The signs of hypothermia in children are similar to those of adults. Besides shivering, clumsiness, lethargy, and slurred speech need to be looked out for. Mayo Clinic recommends if you suspect your child is suffering from hypothermia, bring them indoors at once, avoiding jarring movements. Remove any wet clothing and replace with warm clothes and blankets. Do not apply any direct heat as this can damage the skin. If the child is having trouble bringing their temperature back to normal, you should contact the child’s doctor immediately.
