Making sure your baby is neither too hot nor too cold

Warmth is important to new babies because while healthy full-term infants can produce heat efficiently from the moment of birth, they are not very good at conserving it. If their environment gets cool, they have to divert energy into heat-production and away from the central activities of living and growing. They tend to be fretful and restless too, and if they are allowed to get actually cold, there is a possibility of dangerous chilling. So keeping new babies' environments reasonably warm saves them from having to use any energy in warming themselves, and also contributes to relaxation and contentment.

Babies can get too hot though, and this will also make them restless and cross. By about four weeks after birth, getting too hot is at least as likely to be a problem for full-term babies as getting too cold because by that time they are rather better at conserving warmth than shedding it. If heavy clothes, close wrappings, highly insulating covers, warm headgear, the rainproof covers on a pram, or any combination of these, prevent air from reaching sweat-damped skin to cool by evaporation, there is a real risk of dangerous overheating.

Three light layers of clothing (such as a vest and nappy, a stretch suit and one shawl or blanket) Will keep the air inside the bundle warm enough with room temperatures around 18ºC-20ºC (65-68ºF)

Staying warm but not too warm

A baby's ability to conserve his own warmth improves with age and weight and so does his ability to spare some energy for heat-production. A baby who was pre-term and still weighs less than 2.7kg (6lb) should definitely be kept indoors when the weather is cold and should only be undressed in really warm places. On the other hand, a three month old baby weighing around 5.5kg (12lb) will be getting quite good at staying warm as well as being able to afford to use some energy warming himself up. Between those extremes, common sense precautions will keep your baby warm enough but ensure that he doesn't get too warm.

Dress your baby according to the temperature and adjust his clothes as the temperature changes. It is just as important to take his outdoor clothes off when you reach your holiday accommodation or go into a warm shop or museum, as to put them on when you go out.

Likewise it is important to adjust his night-time coverings to the current temperature of your holiday accommodation, if he needs two blankets when the central heating switches itself off late at night, he certainly cannot need more than one when he first settles to sleep during the evening. Lightweight, layered clothing and bedding make adjustments easy both day and night. Highly insulating garments and covers, such as quilted 'duvet' pram-suits and continental quilts - are dangerously hot for indoor use, but are often provided by overseas hotels.

Your baby's head is so large in relation to his body, and probably so little protected by hair, that he can lose a lot of heat from his head unless he wears a hat. If you are concerned about him getting cold, cover the head; if he might be too warm, take his hat off or replace it with a sun hat.

Your baby is more likely to become chilled or overheated outdoors than indoors, because outdoor cold often comes with a cool breeze and outdoor heat often means warm sunshine. In his first few weeks don't expose your baby more than fleetingly to either.

Signs of chilling

A baby who is managing to keep himself warm but would be happier if outside conditions relieved him of the task will be restless. His breathing will be faster than usual and he may cry. While his hands and feet may feel cool, his chest and stomach, under his clothes, will still feel normally warm. As soon as you take him to a warmer place (especially out of a cool breeze) he will probably become calmer and more relaxed.

A baby who is losing the battle to stay warm is in danger of becoming chilled, behaves quite differently. He is very quiet and still. He will not cry until he is beginning to get warm and can therefore spare the energy which crying takes. His hands and feet will feel cold and even the skin of his chest underneath his clothes will feel cool to your hand. Do not simply add more wrappings. He is already cold and cannot make more heat for himself at the moment. Extra wrappings will insulate the coldness in. He needs to get warmer first - perhaps being taken into a warm room and given a warm feed or by being cuddled close to adult body warmth under your coat or a blanket. After that, extra wrapping will insulate the warmth in that he needs.

If such a baby were given no help in getting warm, he could slip into the next stage of chilling which is called the 'neonatal cold syndrome'. This is very rare but dangerous. Vital bodily functions run so slowly that the baby is lethargic, floppy, difficult to awaken and unable to suck. His hands and feet look swollen and bright pink. His skin is very cold to touch. A baby in this condition needs urgent medical attention, as he will have to be re-warmed slowly and with great care.

Nomad buggy bags are zip up snuggle bags which cannot slip off or be kicked to the ground. A woollen pile inlay and soft polar fleece liner combine to form a warm cocoon. Suitable from birth to toddler. Nomad Kids Buggy Mummy

Beware of overheating

Hot weather seldom bothers babies as long as they have plenty of drink so that they sweat freely, and loose, light clothes so that the sweat can evaporate and cool them. When it is really hot, banish clothing made of synthetics (which can prevent evaporation) in favour of cotton. If you take him out in his pram, use a sunshade Sun Shades for Babies and Children, which is a UV protection cover that fits snugly over your buggy/pram/stroller and allows good ventilation whilst protecting against flies and insects.

A Travel Comfy reversible woollen pile insert will keep him cool and comfy in the summer

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In the car, be careful of the extra heat made by sunshine beating on the windows and also of the wide temperature differences there may be between a warm outside world and an air-conditioned car, and between an overheated static car and a moving one. You may need to keep adjusting your baby's clothing and coverings.

Sunshades on the windows will also be useful. They prevent your baby's eyes from being dazzled by the sun as well as helping to reduce the solar heat gain in the car.

If the baby is irritable and his skin is damp, fan him gently to cool him by evaporation. If his skin is dry, sponge him with warm water first, and then fan him. If the room (or car or train compartment etc) is unpleasantly hot and muggy, a wet towel hung across the window will produce a surprisingly speedy air-conditioning effect.