I understand that hats should not be kept on babies while they are indoors or in a car. I have also read that hats should not be kept on babies while they are sleeping. Is this the case if they are in the pram on a cold day? Also, what about if the car is really cold as the heating is not warm yet, should hats be kept off in this case?

Dear Louisa,

Thank you for contacting Red Nose with your question

Yes you are correct, Red Nose recommends that babies do not have any head coverings such as beanies and or hats when they are sleeping. There are two main reasons for this.
The first being that babies lose their heat predominately through their face and head, over-heating is a risk factor for SUDI. So to help prevent babies from overheating and therefore reduce the risk of SUDI we recommend all babies be slept without anything over their heads.
The second reason we recommend that babies are not slept with hats and beanie’s is the risk of them pulling them down over their nose and or mouth, not being able to breathe effectively and suffocating. There is also a risk of them being strangled if the hats or bonnets have strings attached.