Kamal Ghorui
To all you new parents, who have had a baby in the past month or two, congratulations on your bundle of joy! It is quite normal for a new parent, especially for a first timer, to have a lot of doubts on how to care for a newborn, especially in the scorching heat of summer; be it on how to clothe, bathe, or feed. Here are some tips to guide you through the rough summer months.
Clothing
Your baby needs to be clothed in light and loose breathable clothes. Use only cottons and avoid excessive swaddling in the summer months. Remember comfort before fashion or tradition!To ensure adequate protection from mosquitoes, fully cover your baby in a light full sleeved shirt and pant or full-length onesie.To prevent bites, use mosquito nets and a repellent patch on the clothing rather than repellents directly on the baby’s skin. Ambient temperatures–in the peak of summer it may not be practical to keep the AC or fans turned off. If using an AC, keep the ambient temperature at 26°C or more. If using afan, make sure the baby is not placed in the direct draft of air. Keep windows open to ensure adequate ventilation at home, however, ensure windows are meshed to avoid insects/mosquitoes!
Hydration
New-borns and younger breastfeeding infants do not have to be given extra water to ensure adequate hydration in the summer months. Breast milk has adequate quantity of water to satisfy the baby’s thirst. However, the breastfeeding mother should ensure a high fluid intake in this season. You can keep a tab on your baby’s hydration status by checking the urine output, which should be at least 6-8 times in 24 hours. In case of babies who are being given pumped milk or formula milk, avoid keeping milk out in the open. Pumped milk needs to be refrigerated and cannot be stored for more than 3hours in room temperature. Formula milk should not be reused or reheated, any excess or unused formula milk should be discarded within 2 hours.
Skin care
Oil massages are recommended daily, which help in baby’s sleep and overall neurological development and growth. Oil massage should be followed by a lukewarm bath or a sponge bath. The skin folds in the neck, underarms, groin or thighs tend to accumulate sweat,and if left moist, can lead to fungal infections or rash. Make sure these areas are kept dryby wiping from time to time and changing wetdiapers and clothes, promptly.During the day, try to keep as much diaper-free time as possible. Commercially available wet wipes,though touted to be convenient and mild on baby’s skin, tend to cause a skin rash when used excessively. Running water or a wet soft cotton cloth is always the better option. Also, talcum powder is not recommended as a routine standard of skin care, as it can cause respiratory problems in the baby especially if used close to the face and can clog the pores. Danger signs to look out for in your newborn– if the baby is warm or shows signs of feverin the summer, it could well be that the baby is dehydrated, so do not panic!Unwrap baby if excessively clothed and give a feed to help hydrate and recheck the baby’s temperature. However, if baby continues to have a high temperature, is lethargic, irritable, has no urine output for more than 6 hours, or refuses to feed, do report to your paediatrician at the earliest.
