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 protected from the cold. This is because newborns have very low immunity, and sudden changes in temperature or weather can trigger a bout of cold or cough.

Thus, as soon as winter arrives, we start thinking and rethinking all 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 bodies of babies up to the age of eighteen months are incapable of regulating body temperature. This means that if it is too cold outside, the body cannot generate enough 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, is lightweight, breathable, and ideal for all seasons. Also, remember that a baby swaddle is not for temperature control, and swaddle blankets are not blankets or meant to replace blankets or 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 require 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 snugness they felt while they were inside your womb. It is not a thick layer of clothing that can keep your baby warm in winter; nor 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 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 than 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 bathe daily. Instead, you can bathe them on alternate days.
4. Apply a good-quality, non-toxic baby moisturiser on their skin. But avoid overuse of skin creams and lotions.
5. Your baby's head consists of a significant part of your body, and many babies do not have a coat of hair to protect against the cold. Thus, always make them wear a cap.
6. If you live in a colder region, use a room heater. Maintain an ideal temperature between 25 and 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 layer that will not keep your baby warm in 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.

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