Baby in Hot Climate - Safety ∓ Comfort Tips

How to avoid dehydration, prickly heat and having a sad, burnt baby

Babies get dehydrated and overheated quickly. The sun's rays are dangerous to a baby's skin and for any baby not breastfeeding, there is the risk of food poisoning.

Below you'll find tips on how to make your baby comfortable and safe in hot weather.

Tips For Caring For A Baby In Hot Climate

• Stay out of the sun
• Avoid dehydration
• Avioding hot spots
• Bathing your baby
• Take off the diapers
• Food storage

Stay out of the sun

Baby skin is very thin and delicate and can't handle the sun very well. Babies younger than 12 months really should not be exposed to sun at all. Keep your baby in the shadow and protect him with thin clothes and hats. Sunscreen cream is really a last resort solution, as it can contain harmful substances. If you really need to use sun screen, use on especially made for babies and with really high sun protection factor.

If you haven't yet bought a mosquito net for your baby's stroller, consider buying one that contains UV protection for your child.

Or, actually even more convenient if it is the sun rather than the mosquitos that are the main problem, buy a sunshade for your stroller.. These are a great invention that allow air to flow into the stroller much better than most mosquito nets. And many of them do protect from mosquitos as well.

Avoid dehydration

Babies can't really say that their thirsty and can get dehydrated fast. If you breastfeed, consider feeding your baby more often than usual if it is very hot. Also remember to drink a lot of water yourself, to stimulate milk production. If your baby has started to eat solid food, offer water also between meals.

Signs of dehydration:

• Not looking well
• Being more irritable than usual
• Having a dry skin and/or a sunken fontanel
• Urinating less than usual

If you suspect that your baby is becoming dehydrated, offer a lot of extra fluid. Contact a doctor if you are worried and your baby refuses to drink.

Avoiding hot spots

In addition to the risk of SIDS, your child can get heat stroke.

Signs of heat stroke are:

• A hot baby with a rising body temperature
• Urinating less than usual
• A headache - of course hard to know if your baby suffers from headache, but an older kid might be able to tell you.
• Dry mouth and eyes
• Being sleepy and irritable
• In bad cases - confusion, vomiting and even coma

If your baby appears to suffer from heat stroke, he might need hospital treatment. Call for urgent help!

In the meantime, bring him to a cool (not cold) place, try make your baby drink fluid (if conscious) and cool him off by using cool damp cloths.

You can learn more about heat stroke in babies here.

Bathing your baby

If you're going to swim in a pool, consider smearing your baby with baby oil before bathing. The chlorine in the water can really make both your and your baby's skin dry. But remember, your baby will become very slippery, so be careful!

Also remember that the combination of sun and water is even more dangerous for your baby's skin that just the sun. Bathe your baby in the shadow or put on some good sun protection clothing. Some are not only good they are also really cool!

Take off the diapers

Moist diapers and hot weather is a really bad combination for your baby's skin. Therefore, let your baby spend time without his diapers as often as possible. This way you will prevent diaper rash or prickly heat from developing. Let your baby lie on a towel in the grass (in the shadow).

Food storage

With warm weather comes bacteria growth. If your baby has started to eat solid foods, make sure that you serve your baby fresh foods. Throw away anything that seems suspicious and don't store food for more that a day or so.

That was about it! If you follow these tips, I am sure you will have a great time with your baby in hot climate too! If you want some inspiration regarding great vacation spots with babies, read other parents' tips here.

Related Content

• Tips For A Great Stay Away From Home With A Baby
• Heat Stroke In Babies - Precautions, Symptoms And Treatment
• How To Prevent Ear Pressure For Baby When Flying

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