Here Dr Hicks answers your questions about making sure your baby doesn't overheat.
How can I keep down my baby's temperature when he's got a fever?
There a few simple steps you can take to treat a raised temperature:
- Cool the room by opening a window, turning down the heating or putting an electric fan in the room
- Strip them down to their underwear or vest & nappy
- Give children’s paracetamol or ibuprofen according to manufacturer's instructions
- Ensure they take lots of fluids
- Trust your instincts and contact your GP if you’re worried, or if fever lasts for more than 2 days, or if fever is 40 degrees centigrade or more
My baby's room gets very hot in the summer. Is it safe to keep him in there or should I move him elsewhere on the hottest days/nights?
The ideal temperature for a baby’s room is between 16C (61F) and 20C (68F). If the room is warmer than this then he may not sleep so comfortably.
Place a baby thermometer in your baby’s room away from direct sunlight and where you can see it easily. This will help you identify whether the room is too warm or not.
To keep his room cool, keep curtains closed during the day to block out direct sunlight, and a window open so air can circulate. Overnight provided your baby will not be in a draft then you can leave a window open a little.
You can use a fan to keep the room cool.
If the temperature of his room is at 20C, or a little higher, then he will not need so many layers.
You can check his temperature easily with an ear thermometer, such as the Braun ThermoScan Ear Thermometer, to make sure he’s not too hot or too cold and then add or remove clothing and bedding accordingly.
Remember that temperature can drop quite quickly overnight so it’s important to keep an eye on him.
If you feel that the room is too hot, or he is not sleeping comfortably, then you can always move him to a cooler room.
We're going on holiday to the Med in the summer. How can I help my baby cope with the heat?
Heat exhaustion can result from excessive exposure to heat, overexertion in hot weather, and not enough liquid. As the body cools itself down by sweating an excessive loss of body fluids and salt may occur.
Overexertion in a hot climate makes it more likely. It’s best not to let young children over-exert themselves in the sun.
Give them regular “time outs” to rest in the shade, and plenty of water to drink. Encourage games that don’t involve too much exertion, and make good use of air-conditioning if it’s available.
Protecting babies/children from sunburn is very important as it’s painful and damages the skin increasing the risk of skin cancer in adulthood.
It’s best to keep babies under 12 months old out of direct sunlight.
Everyone should stay in the shade between 11am and 3pm when the sun is most dangerous.
Cover up with loose baggy cotton clothes with sleeves and trouser-legs, a legionnaire’s cap or floppy hat with a wide brim, and sunglasses.
Apply sunscreen of minimum SPF 15 effective against UVA and UVB regularly throughout the day. UV protection clothing offers additional protection too.
The Braun ThermoScan Thermometer is available from Boots, Superdrug, Tesco, leading pharmacies and department stores, priced from £39.99.
