The winter can be harsh on your sweetie’shealth and skin. Learn how to keep Baby snugand soft this winter
You want to keep your little love warm, especially at night, but babies can’t regulate their temperature as well as adults do, and they can quickly get too hot. Find your cutie's night-time comfort zone:It’s important to shield Baby against the whipping winter breeze and the cold bugs this season usually brings. But in abid to protect, parents often end up committing several mistakes that do even more damage. To set matters straight, we got experts to tell you what you should avoid and what to do right.
MISTAKE 1
over cladding
WHAT YOU SHOULD UNLEARN
That Baby needs to be bundled upall the time.WHY Babies are not able to regulate their body temperature as efficiently as adults. So chances are high that over cladding will make your baby way too hot; it may even
lead to fever.
THE RIGHT MOVE
Layering your little squirmer is the best way to keep him warm. “Cotton is best for Baby’s tender skin. So build the base layer with cotton inners,”“One of the common mistakes that parents make during the winter is to keep the baby’s head,hands and feet bare,” points out Dr. Ugra. “An infant’s head covers a larger surface area than an adult’sin proportion to his body. So babies lose a lot more heat if the head is bare,” he explains. Hoods or knit caps with side flaps (to keep the ears insulated) are good.
MISTAKE 2
neglecting fluid intake
WHAT YOU SHOULD UNLEARN
Baby doesn’t need too much water during the winter.WHY Winter has a dehydrating effect on your little one’s body.While it’s true that his body doesn’t lose as much water in the winter
as in the warmer months, it’s also a fact that Baby doesn’t get enough moisture as the air tends to get
drier with dropping temperatures.
THE RIGHT MOVE
Your munchkin may not feel that thirsty but his fluid intake shouldn’t reduce. “The daily fluid requirement of an infant is 100ml per kg of his weight,’’“A healthy2-year-old weighing about 12kg will need about 1.2 litres of fluid every day,” she adds. Off er water to your child every time you get yourself a glass. Try to do this every hour. Make him sip from his bottle each time he wakes up at night. Fluid intake also gets a boost from fruit juices and other foods such as milk, soup, yogurt and dal.But water is still the best option.You can give him lukewarm water during winter.
MISTAKE 3
home remedies
WHAT YOU SHOULD UNLEARN
Asafoetida (heeng), basil (tulsi),aniseed (saunf ), and other such condiments and plants will stave off the cold or fl u.WHY These can cause gastritis and a tendency to vomit. “They may even spread the infection internally,”
THE RIGHT MOVE “Consult your paediatrician if a fever doesn’t recede after two days. Watch out for signals like breathing troubles and inability to eat,” In case of severe chest infection and an asthma attack, your doctor may suggest antibiotics, nebulizers or inhalers.
MISTAKE 4
oiling baby’s nose and ears
WHAT YOU SHOULD UNLEARN
Pouring oil in her nose and ears will keep Baby warm.WHY While oil massage boosts your child’s blood circulation, the wrong application may lead to health hazards. “Instilling oil into her ears may result in an ear druminfection and rubbing it on her
nose may lead to pneumonitis,”
THE RIGHT MOVE
Avoid pouring oil into her ears and nose. Make sure that you massage your baby in a warm place. Wash off the oil well while bathing her. She may develop skin rashes due to the residual oil. “Keep a baby over 6months
warm with foods rich in complex carbohydrates like oats. Also sprinkle crushed almonds on food such as dalia,”
MISTAKE 5
room heaters
WHAT YOU SHOULD UNLEARN
A room heater keeps the baby insulated from the cold.WHY Heaters suck the moisture from the air. This can dry your baby’s skin and nasal passages too.
THE RIGHT MOVE
“Do not use a room heater for long; when using it, also use a humidifier simultaneously to retain moisture
in the room
There’s plenty you can do to speed up recovery
