Avoid Swaddling in Winter: Risks & Baby Care Tips

Winters are coming! And the first thing a new parent starts worrying about as soon as it's wintertime is ensuring their child is safeguarded against the cold weather. This is because newborn kids have very low immunity, and sudden changes in the temperature or weather can lead to a bout of cold or cough for them.

Thus, as soon as the winters arrive, we start thinking and rethinking all of our parenting decisions. Whether or not to swaddle your baby in the winter is one of those decisions you will need to make. This article will help you understand a baby's body in the winter and how swaddling and swaddle blankets might affect their health – positively or negatively! Let's read on!

How Winters Affect Newborn Babies

Sudden changes in temperature, temperature drops, and the arrival of winter make your babies more vulnerable and susceptible to the common cold, flu, and cough.(1). Suddenly, room heaters, baby swaddle blankets, mittens, caps, baby dohar blankets, and booties become our best friends. We ensure that the room where the baby sleeps is appropriately temperature controlled.

The body of babies up to the age of eighteen months is incapable of regulating body temperature. This means that if it is too cold on the outside, the body will not be able to generate heat to keep itself warm. Thus, babies can easily catch a cold through their palms, feet, chest or head – whatever area is exposed to the outside temperature.

Therefore, blankets, swaddles, caps, boots, mittens etc., play a significant role for babies. In addition, you must have observed that babies born in even summers are made to wear light hats and are swaddled in swaddle blankets or a soft cotton cloth swaddle for the same reason.

Should You Swaddle Your Baby In Winters?

Using a 100% cotton or pure mulmul swaddle like SuperBottoms Mulmul Swaddle, they are lightweight, breathable and ideal for all seasons. Also, remember that baby swaddle is not for temperature control, or swaddle blankets are not blankets or are meant to replace blankets and extra layers for winter. The primary purpose of swaddle blankets is to keep your baby snug and comfortable and help them sleep better.

Swaddle wraps, whether the square kinds that need to be wrapped using different wrapping techniques or the ones that come with zippers, snaps or Velcro, are nap, and sleep time accessories. They help your baby replicate the snug they felt while they were inside your womb. It is not a thick layer of clothing that can save your baby against winters; neither is it just a summertime accessory. Thus, swaddles can be used in winter, summer, or any season. Here is a quick reference chart of all you need to layer your baby up during winter.

Quick Tips For Protecting Your Babies In Winters

So, now that we know that swaddle wraps for newborns and infants swaddle wraps are not at all harmful but, in fact, advised during winter, too, let us look at a few additional tips that can help you protect your baby in winter.

1. Infants and newborns feel the cold more than we grown-ups do. So, make them wear one extra layer compared to what you are wearing, which should be enough to keep them warm.
2. Please do not go overboard and layer them up in multiple layers, as that can lead to overheating and fever.
3. Bathe your baby with lukewarm water. Babies do not need to take a bath daily. Instead, you can bathe them on alternate days.
4. Apply a good quality, non-toxic baby moisturizer on their skin. But, avoid overuse of skin creams and lotions.
5. Your baby's head consists of a more significant part of your body, and many babies do not have a coat of hair to protect against cold. Thus, always make them wear a cap over their head.
6. If you live in a colder region, use a room heater. Maintain an ideal temperature between 25 to 28 degrees.
7. For premature babies, skin-to-skin contact and kangaroo care during winter can help them gain consistent weight and keep warm.

To sum it up, baby blankets for newborns are an all-season accessory that can be an excellent lightweight layer for winter. It is just an additional single layer that will not save your baby from the winter but will keep it snug and comfortable.

Key Takeaways

1. Babies can not regulate their body temperature until 18 months.
2. Babies' palms, feet, chest, and head must be covered to avoid catching a cold.
3. Swaddle blankets are all-season accessories that can also be used in winter.

Message From SuperBottoms

Hi there, new parents! No matter where you are around the world or in India, SuperBottoms ensures your kids are using the best and safest products. SuperBottoms offers the best cloth diapers, which are completely safe and gentle for your baby, DryFeel langots for diaper-free time, padded underwear for potty training your kids, and period underwear for women. These products suit your baby's delicate skin at any time of year. SuperBottoms is a must-have product for you and your child whether you live in Canada, Kuwait, the United States, Qatar, Hawaii, Bahrain, Armenia, the United Arab Emirates, or the Philippines. SuperBottoms products are also available on Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, FirstCry, Zepto, Swiggy and Blinkit.