One of the hardest things about being a new mom is learning how to read your baby’s signals. Babies are, obviously, unable to protect themselves from any situation—whether hunger, tiredness, illness, or temperature—so it is crucial that parents learn how to tell if the baby is cold.
However, some signs are harder to interpret than others. Temperature, for example, is not always so obvious, and the question of how to tell if the baby is cold becomes even more pressing.
According to pediatricians, babies do not have the ability to self-regulate their temperature like adults1. Their bodies can lose heat through unprotected areas such as the head, hands, or feet—this is called radiated heat.
Likewise, if babies are not dressed in enough clothes or are in a very cold room, they can lose too much heat and, in rare cases, experience hypothermia, which is a very significant threat to their lives.
Even in warmer months, it is important to monitor the baby’s temperature because just by looking, there’s no way to tell if your baby is cold. You have to make sure they are warm enough, especially indoors.
During the colder months, extra attention is needed, both to the outside temperature and to the temperature inside the home.
How to Control Your Baby’s Temperature?
Research has shown that when a baby becomes excessively cold or overheated, it is a serious medical situation. Both thermal insulation and overheating have been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Continuous education on how to tell if the baby is cold is essential to help reduce the incidence of SIDS, and sharing correct information is extremely important2.
Continuous education on how to tell if the baby is cold is essential to help reduce the incidence of SIDS, and sharing correct information is extremely important.
Parents and caregivers need to be educated on the importance of dressing the baby appropriately based on the current temperature of the environment and adjusting the baby’s clothing as the temperature changes.
Making the baby too warm is just as likely as letting them get too cold, so parents should monitor, touch and feel the baby, to make sure they are neither too hot nor too cold, because both being too cold and overheating are risk factors for SIDS and can impact the baby’s health and well-being.
What Is the Normal Temperature for a Newborn?
The normal temperature not only for newborns but also for children in general ranges between 36.5 to 37.5°C (97.7 to 99.5°F). Newborns will usually be around 37 degrees most of the time due to the amount of clothing they wear.
A baby’s temperature can be assessed with reasonable accuracy by human touch. Abdominal temperature represents core temperature and is reliable for diagnosing hypothermia.
Parents and caregivers should touch the baby’s chest and belly to feel if they are too hot or too cold. The baby’s tummy and chest should be warm and dry, not sweaty or cold.
Is Hiccup in a Newborn a Sign of Being Cold?
Although older generations claim that cold causes hiccups, it is important to know that all types of hiccups are related to the diaphragm, which is a muscle located below the lungs and is responsible for bringing air into them.
So, any stimulus that irritates the diaphragm will make it function incorrectly, contracting out of rhythm and allowing air to enter the lungs at the wrong time, thus causing hiccups3.
In newborns, this process can happen due to the immaturity of the central nervous system, which means the control over the diaphragm’s movement isn’t perfect yet. That’s why hiccups tend to disappear as the child gets older.
Therefore, if cold irritates the baby’s diaphragm (which is very unusual), they may get hiccups; however, it’s worth remembering that the temperature inside the mother’s womb is ideal for the baby, and even then, they can get hiccups in there.
How to Dress Your Baby?
As a general guideline, pediatricians recommend dressing your baby in just one more layer of clothing than what an adult would feel comfortable wearing in the same environment. The baby’s head should be uncovered unless they weigh less than eight pounds and the environment is cold.
For many years, it was considered fine if the baby’s hands and feet were cold. The belief was that this was caused by the baby’s immature circulatory system. However, the World Health Organization now states that the baby’s hands and feet should be pink and warm.
Warm, pink feet indicate that the baby is in thermal comfort. But when the feet are cold and the trunk is warm, this signals that the baby is experiencing cold stress. In hypothermia, both the feet and the trunk feel cold to the touch.
Babies need to be comfortable at the temperature they are in. If they start to get fussy, something isn’t right. Keeping them close helps you check and comfort them as soon as they start to cry.
How to Tell if Your Baby Is Cold?
Although it might seem overwhelming to learn all of a baby’s signs, soon they will become so familiar that, once you figure out if the baby is cold, regulating their temperature will be much simpler.
Watch out for these signs:
Cold hands and feet
Although this is generally a less effective indicator of your baby’s overall body temperature, heat escapes quickly through the hands and feet and these are often the most exposed. Your baby’s hands and feet should be just as warm as the rest of their body. So if your baby’s hands or feet feel cold, add another layer of clothing, just to be safe.
Is the trunk and belly warm or cold?
If your baby’s belly or chest feels cold even under clothing, they are definitely too cold. Ideally, try to dress them more warmly, and if this doesn’t heat them up after a few minutes, it’s important to seek medical help.
Is your baby fussy for no apparent reason?
In the early stages of feeling cold, your baby may become fussy when nothing else is wrong, giving parents a sign that they are cold. If this happens, just put on some socks or warmer clothes and the baby will be more comfortable.
Is the room temperature low?
According to pediatricians, the ideal temperature for the room where your baby is (regardless of how cold or hot it is outside) should be between 22°C and 26°C (71.6°F and 78.8°F). Of course, proper clothes, blankets, and covers (if the baby is old enough), can be used to help regulate their temperature too.
Is your baby very quiet?
One of the most dangerous signs that your baby is cold is if they are very quiet and lethargic. According to the World Health Organization, these signs of hypothermia in infants should not be ignored, as the baby’s body is not warming up adequately at this point.
Hold your baby against your body to warm them up and then wrap them in enough layers to keep them warm. If there is no improvement, seek medical help immediately.
See Also: How to Deal with Baby Hiccups and Find a Sleeping Position
Photos: Public Domain Pictures
