Babies and heat – how to protect against dehydration and sunstroke

Baby’s body contains much less water than an adult body, which means it has smaller margins from the start when it comes to dehydration and lack of fluids. Plus, babies can’t speak up when they’re thirsty. They also have a harder time regulating their body temperature, which means they have to stock up on fluids more often. Heat rash is also common to see on babies who have gotten too hot.

Dress baby for the weather

Is your baby wearing the right amount of clothes? As a parent, how many times have you asked yourself that question? On a hot summer day, when you are wearing shorts and a T-shirt, you can rest assured that your baby will also need no more than one layer of light clothing. And if it’s really hot out, a diaper and a thin sheet for when the baby is sleeping in the shade may be enough. Unlike adults, babies always need protection for their sensitive skin when the sun is strong – even while in the shade. It shouldn’t be too warm; a sun hat or thin cap would work.

You need to keep an eye on the baby and touch them often when it’s hot out. Touch a finger to their neck and chest. If the baby feels hot and/or sweaty, you need to remove some clothing or find a cooler place. But if they don’t feel too hot to the touch, then your baby is surely the right temperature.

How to protect your baby from heat and dehydration

• In the summer months, infants need to be in the shade; on very hot days it might be best to stay inside midday, when the sun is at its hottest.
• If the baby is going to sleep outside in a pram, it is incredibly important for the pram to be fully in the shade. Remember that black and dark prams will get hotter than white ones.
• Never place a blanket or scarf over the pram to shade the baby, because it can get insanely hot inside. This also makes it harder to get air, and together these factors could be life threatening for a baby. But you can use a mosquito net, which lets air in.
• Always offer access to the breast or bottle when it’s hot out. You can give the baby water if they’re eating solids, but infants need nutrients so breastmilk or formula are better options for them.
• Never leave a baby in a parked car, not even for a single minute. Even on a cloudy day with the windows cracked, the air supply could crash altogether and it can quickly get twice as hot inside the car as it is outside.
• Feel your sleeping baby’s neck often with your hand to make sure they’re the right temperature.

How do I know if my baby is too hot or has symptoms of dehydration?

A warm and fussy baby should be watched closely, but they can sometimes react the opposite way, and might get quiet and lethargic when too hot. So make sure they don’t feel too hot when you check with your hand, that they wake up easily – and that they’re peeing as much as they ever do. Not peeing properly is the most common symptom of dehydration. If the diaper has a wetness indicator, then you know the baby has peed when it changes colour.

If you find that your baby is too hot, you should quickly look for a cooler place and then try to get them to drink; you can also cool down the baby with a damp towel. If the baby seems too lethargic to want to eat, try tickling their feet; skin-to-skin contact might also help them start to suckle faster. If that doesn’t help and the baby still seems lethargic, or isn’t taking in fluids, then you need to seek emergency medical care quickly.

Can babies get sunstroke?

Because babies are usually in the shade and wearing a sun hat or thin cap, sunstroke is fairly uncommon in infants. Sunstroke happens when the sun is directly on the skin and symptoms include nausea and dizziness. Slightly older children are more vulnerable because they might play in the water and spend much of the day in the sun. So a cap or hat on their head paired with sunscreen is a good idea for your older child too – and maybe even for yourself. It is good to know that sunstroke symptoms won’t set in immediately; they will sneak up a little later on. So it may be wise to keep an eye out to make sure your kids don’t spend too much time in the sun, even with protection.

Sunscreen for kids

In addition to the fact that children can’t manage heat very well, their thin skin is also highly sensitive to the sun’s rays. Babies under a year old really shouldn’t be in the sun at all, especially not in the middle of the day when the sun is at its strongest.

Wearing a hat and applying sunscreen to skin that isn’t covered by shade or clothing is a good idea. Sunscreens should be specifically intended for children and should be at least SPF 30 – but preferably SPF 50. The higher the SPF, the cooler it will keep that little body, because sunburn makes loss of fluids even worse.

It may be interesting to know that there are different kinds of sunscreen: chemical and physical. Physical sunscreens are like a film that goes directly on the skin and blocks sunlight immediately. They are often thicker in consistency and can be harder to rub in evenly all over the body; on the other hand, it is easier to see where you haven’t applied it yet. Chemical sunscreens are absorbed into the skin in a different way. They’re usually a bit thinner in consistency and are therefore easier to rub in – but it’s harder to see if you’ve managed to apply the product all over the body. Usually, chemical sunscreens perform a little better in the water, but they don’t provide immediate protection and should be applied about 20 minutes before you go out into the sun.. Many sunscreens contain a blend of both, so it may be simplest to talk to the staff at your drugstore for help choosing a suitable option for your child. Even though most sunscreens today are waterproof, it’s still better to apply several times while you’re out in the sun, even if your child disagrees.

Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.