How much should you bundle up baby?
It was a long, cold, winter's week, and all the first-time parents in with their days-old infants were asking the same newborn-care questions: how high should household heating units be cranked up to accommodate their new arrivals, and how many layers of clothing should little babies wear?
In an effort to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to avoid overheating and overbundling their little ones. The academy states that "the infant should not feel hot to the touch," and warns that a baby who looks sweaty, with wet hair and excessively pink cheeks, is likely to be overheated and overdressed.
The academy recommends maintaining household temperature at a level that is comfortable for a lightly clothed adult. Since some adults consider 65 degrees to be ideal, while others prefer a balmy 78 degree environment, I always start by asking parents where they liked to set their dial "before baby," and then adjusting up or down from that level. Most baby experts recommend keeping the newborn's bedroom within a safe and moderate 65 to 72 degree range during the heated winter months.
Indoor winter wear should also be somewhat restrained. A onesie worn under a footed pajama generally works to keep the baby at that "not too hot, not too cold" temperature while awake. A thin receiving blanket can be added for naps and night sleep.
While outings should be limited during the first two months of life to reduce exposure to infectious disease, babies do sometimes need to be brought outdoors. When outside, little infants should wear the same number of layers as their parents, plus one, with a hat also added to decrease rapid loss of infant body heat.
Temperature of bathwater can be regulated even before the baby comes home, with the AAP instructing parents to set their water heater thermostat to a maximum of 120 degrees to prevent accidental scalding injuries.
After the newborn's umbilical cord falls off, parents can graduate from washcloth or sponge baths to the real thing - infant tub baths. By filling the baby tub with a moderate amount of warm water and then testing the water temperature with a sensitive part of your arm, such as the wrist, you can make sure baby's bath time is a safe and comfortable experience. Bathwater should be warm, not hot or lukewarm, and while baths are meant to be calming and soothing, they need to be kept relatively brief and efficient to avoid excess heat loss from baby's exposed skin.
• Dr. Helen Minciotti is a mother of five and a pediatrician with a practice in Schaumburg. She formerly chaired the Department of Pediatrics at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.