Parents can worry about their babies being too cold, but did you know being too hot can be a problem for your baby, too?
A new mum of a four-month-old baby, recently called the Safe Sleep Line to ask what temperature she should keep the bedroom at night so their baby was comfortable and safe during winter as she was worried about him being too cold in his cot.
Many parents come to us for reassurance about what is the ‘right’ temperature for baby.
The short answer is, there is no perfect temperature, and what is a safe temperature depends on many factors, including the season or how baby is dressed.
Red Nose knows that overheating adds to the risk of sudden unexpected death, and we want to do whatever we can to reduce this risk.
How Do You Make Sure You Are Doing The Right Thing?
With so many baby products on the market promising to keep baby cool or to monitor or regulate temperature it’s easy for parents to think that common sense measures are not enough.
The best way to protect baby from overheating is actually quite simple:
- Keep their head and face uncovered
- Place baby on their back to sleep
- Take care with how you dress baby for sleep. Adjust according to the season, if you have heating or cooling, or where your baby is sleeping.
A good rule of thumb is to dress baby as you would dress yourself for the weather — comfortably warm.
How Will I Know if Baby is ‘Comfortably Warm’ or Not?
A clever way to check baby’s temperature is to feel the baby’s back or tummy, which should feel warm to the touch (don’t worry if baby’s hands and feet feel cool, this is normal). If a baby is showing signs of heat stress, such as flushed cheeks and sweating, remove some clothing.
Do I Need a Room Thermometer?
Parents often think they need a thermometer to check the room’s temperature to reduce the risk of SUDI. To date, there is no evidence showing that a specific room temperature prevents sudden unexpected death in infancy.
The most important ways to avoid overheating are to keep face and head uncovered, place baby on their back to sleep, and dress baby for the room temperature (not over or under dressed)
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