Help your baby beat the summer blues

With the winters over, summer brings with it a lot of changes especially for premature babies. Babies are delicate and cannot adjust to external weather changes quickly. This is the main reason for babies to get affected with overheat and associated illnesses such as prickly heat, heat rash, dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Preemies and babies with special healthcare needs are even more susceptible to heat illness than other infants, they are at a much greater risk for dehydration and overheating because of their under-developed temperature regulation systems and small size. 

What should you do?

Breastfeed comfortably: Breastfeeding on a hot and humid day can be uncomfortable. Skin-to-skin contact leads to sweating and discomfort for both the mother and baby. Try placing a cloth or towel in between you and your preemie, or try breastfeeding while lying down. Also be sure that you breastfeed in a cool area—a portable fan can circulate air to help cool off you and your baby.

Watch out for heat rash: Although not a very serious problem, heat rashes serve as a sign that your preemie is too warm and cause a lot of discomfort. To treat them, it is important to first cool your baby off by placing cool, wet washcloths over the affected areas and then letting the skin air dry. Mild forms of heat rashes will go away if preemie is kept cool. It is not necessary to use any ointments because these can further irritate the rash. Avoid the use of baby powders or corn starch because they can irritate the rash further by blocking your baby’s pores. To avoid a heat rash, dress your baby in lightweight, soft, cotton clothing, use a fan, and check his or her diaper often.

Avoid dehydration & exhaustion: Summer brings along with it two major illness dehydration and exhaustion which initially go unnoticed but can cause serious damage to babies especially Preemies. Make sure to check your babies mouth for dryness or stickiness, if you notice either breastfeed your baby. Always make sure to your baby to a cool or shaded area.

Light clothing: when it gets too hot our first go to is to lower the AC temperature to cool the room faster, while this might be fine for adults this move can really effect a baby especially premature babies. So instead, wrap your baby in lighter clothing like a vest or a singlet. Make sure to carry several light clothing while moving out of the house and keeping your baby wrapped in wet clothing can cause your baby to catch a cold. While laying your preemie down put down a light cotton cloth especially on synthetic surfaces.

Common Summer illnesses: A baby’s immune system is very delicate and during the summer babies do pick up a lot common illnesses especially premature babies. The best precaution for this is breastmilk which contains a lot of antibodies which help keep these illnesses at bay. If you are formula feeding your baby, take extra precautions to ensure that you sterilize any equipment your preemie puts in his/her mouth, or that you use in making the food or feeding him/her. 

So what you new mothers can do during hot weather is to respond to baby’s feeding cues like licking his lips, sucking on his lips, hands or fingers and allow him to breastfeed on demand. If you are travelling, you can pump breastmilk and feed him that while enroute. And always remember to keep your baby covered with a light cloth especially your preemie to avoid any heat rashes.

Dr. Payel Biswas Soo, Child Birth Educator & Lactation specialist Medela India.