Photo credit: iStock.com / JGalione

The basics, indoors and out

There's no way around it – if you're planning to head out the door with your baby on cold winter days, you need an early start. You have a lot to assemble, and your baby just may not want to cooperate.

First and foremost, layers are key to keeping your baby warm but not too warm. (The general rule is to dress your baby in one more layer than an adult would wear to be comfortable.) Depending on how cold it is, you could use a bodysuit for that first layer, with a sweater or jacket over that, then a coat on top, mittens, and a hat. If you're going to be popping in and out of grocery stores or the mall, you want to be able to easily remove a layer (or two or three) so your baby doesn't overheat.

As long as the weather isn't too unfriendly, it's good for your baby to get some fresh air every day, whether it's in a stroller, carrier, or backpack. Just keep in mind that while you're working up a sweat exercising, your baby is just sitting exposed to the cold – and she'll get chilly well before you do. Be sensitive to your baby's nonverbal signals. If your baby is happy to be out at first but starts fussing after a while, she may be trying to tell you that she's cold. It's a good idea to check little fingers, toes, ears, and face regularly, and head inside before your baby gets uncomfortable.

If you spend a lot of time in the wintry outdoors, you'll want wind- and water-resistant outerwear that will keep your baby snug and dry even in the coldest temperatures. Look for gear with a good layer of insulation and a water-repellent exterior fabric such as fleece, flannel, or fiberfill.

If you're going somewhere by car, remove any bulky layers before putting your baby in the car seat. You don't want your baby to get too warm, or for clothing to interfere with car-seat straps, which must be snug to work safely. You can always buckle your baby in and then tuck a blanket around her for warmth.

At night things can get a bit more complicated, because sleeping with blankets isn't recommended for babies under a year old. To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), experts say to put your baby to sleep on her back without any pillows or coverings at all, and don't overheat the room. The solution is to layer up on safe alternatives like warm pajamas, wearable blankets, and fuzzy flannel fitted sheets.

Finally, consider that the chill wind outside and dry heat indoors can zap moisture from the hardiest of skins – and your baby's delicate skin is especially vulnerable. You may want to apply moisturizer at bedtime every night and before layering up to go outside. Pediatricians recommend that you use a lotion without perfume or dyes for newborns, and avoid bathing your baby too often or using too much soap, which can be drying. A humidifier can also help soothe baby skin during the cold months.

Here are some of our favorite products for keeping babies warm and comfy when it's cold outside.

The most snuggly sheet

Photo credit: Amazon

Keeping your baby warm – but not too warm – at night can be a little tricky, but a great base is a warm flannel fitted sheet for your baby's crib. This version from Trend Lab is soft, cozy, and inexpensive enough to buy in multiples; you'll want to keep extras on hand for changes so you don't have to run emergency laundry loads.

Comfy and cozy for nighttime

Photo credit: Amazon

Soft, one-piece footed sleepers help your baby stay warm and comfortable at night by keeping him covered from neck to toe. For an extra layer, put a bodysuit or undershirt underneath the sleeper. If it's very cold, consider pairing a cotton or terry sleeper with a micro-fleece sleep sack or a micro-fleece sleeper with a cotton sleep sack so your baby is warm but not overheated.

A safe alternative to blankies

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A terrific and safe alternative to a traditional blanket, wearable blankets provide a warm top layer that won't get tangled around your baby or cover your baby's face. The Halo SleepSack is sleeveless, so your baby can still move his arms around while the rest of his body stays covered. It unzips from the bottom to make nighttime diaper changes easier, and comes in various cute designs and fabrics. Pair a micro-fleece SleepSack with footed jammies and you can be confident that your baby will stay warm through the night.

Silky soft and breathable

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Layering is key to keeping your bundle of joy, well, bundled! KYTE baby bodysuits are a perfect base layer for your baby's winter wardrobe because they're soft, cozy, and breathable. That's thanks to their materials: 97 percent bamboo and 3 percent spandex. They come in packs of two in many complementary colors.

An easy-on, easy-off outer layer

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A snowsuit or bunting provides a great buffer against the cold and snow. Parents say this fleece footed jumpsuit from Carter's is soft and easy to use, and keeps babies cozy. Once your baby is dressed for the day, you can add this jumpsuit as an extra layer just before you head out the door or get out of the car (since it's not safe to put your baby in bulky layers in the car seat).

Warm and extra cute

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A soft hat will help keep your baby's precious noggin warm and should protect his or her ears. Finding one that is well made and that will last the whole season is key. Zutano's Cozie fleece hat is a parent fave because it's warm without being heavy, and it stays on better than most. It comes in 23 beautiful colors, from pink to orange to apple green.

A blanket and lovey in one

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Although your baby shouldn't have a blanket in the crib or bassinet, this coziness factor is useful to have at other times! You can tuck one around your strapped-in baby in the car seat while the car warms up or use it to add an extra layer for walks in the stroller. The Bearington Baby Lil' Spout Sleeper is warm and snuggly, and has a built-in friend your baby will be happy to cuddle with.

Warmth on the go

Photo credit: Amazon

Chilly days call for a little extra ammunition. This ingenious bunting bag attaches safely to a car seat or stroller, so it's so easy to pop your baby in and zip it up like a sleeping bag. If things warm up, you can remove the top so your baby doesn't get too hot. The Bundleme works well with safety straps on a car seat or stroller and is machine-washable.  

Keeps sensitive skin happy

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When your baby has itchy, irritated winter skin, reach for a gentle lotion. Hello Bello lotions are rich and creamy but not greasy, and come in lovely scents: vanilla apricot is our favorite for daytime, and lavender is a bedtime go-to. (Note: Wait until your baby is past the newborn stage to use scented lotions.)

Mild soap locks in moisture

Photo credit: Target

Soap and water can dry your baby's skin, so don't overdo baths in the winter months – a bath every other day should suffice. When you do bathe your baby, use a mild soap like the Honest Company Everyday Gentle Shampoo and Body Wash. To protect delicate baby skin, use warm (not hot) water, don't let your baby soak too long in the tub, and pat (don't rub) your baby's skin to dry it.

Not just for summertime

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Even the milder winter sun can damage skin. If your baby is under 6 months old, try to keep her out of the sun completely or protect her skin with hats, clothing, and stroller and car seat canopies. If she's older than 6 months, dab a little sunscreen on any parts that might be exposed, like her nose and cheeks. The best sunscreens for babies are made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (these ingredients physically block the sun). We love the Thinkbaby SPF 50+ because it doesn't feel greasy, it rubs in easily, it's gentle on the skin, and it smells good.

Combats dry winter air

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Using a cool-mist humidifier in the room where your baby sleeps can help keep his nasal passages moist – which makes for a healthier, more comfortable baby. The Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier allows you to set the humidity level where you want it. It's whisper-quiet, easy to clean, and can run for 24 hours, a win-win-win for busy moms and sleepy babies.

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Kelly Bailey

Kelly Bailey is a busy Momma to three under-3 girls, including a set of twins.

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All about hypothermia in children

Low ambient temperature has an adverse effect on the body; cold can cause damage, the consequences of which can be very serious. The risk of hypothermia in a child is much higher than in an adult - this is due to the imperfection of the mechanisms of thermoregulation, a number of functional features. Although hypothermia is considered less dangerous than overheating, it causes various pathologies, among which colds dominate. A small child is not able to complain, to independently tell about the sensations that he experiences. Parents are required to be attentive in order to notice the symptoms of hypothermia in time and provide first aid.

Cold is one of the most well-known and widespread damaging factors. From birth, children are wrapped as warmly as possible, protected from drafts. The mechanisms of thermoregulation in children differ from those in adults. Low ambient temperature, tolerated by parents without any consequences, can be dangerous for the child. However, the likelihood of hypothermia in young children who are supervised, eat enough and are warmly dressed is minimal.

A child who walks on the street without supervision, plays in a cold room, swims in a pond can get cold much faster. The risk of hypothermia is very high in winter, autumn and early spring, although hypothermia occurs even in the summer months - for example, if it starts raining suddenly.

Hypothermia can occur in a child under various circumstances.

It is divided into such types as: local; general.

1. Local hypothermia is called frostbite - cold affects limited areas of the skin (most often the most open - limbs, nose, ears).

2. General hypothermia is said if the child has been in conditions of low temperature for a long time, which has affected the whole organism as a whole.

It is advisable to describe the symptoms of hypothermia in a child according to the classification presented earlier. So, frostbite can be superficial and deep. There is a division into severity, which is used to assess the condition and establish a diagnosis. At the first degree, the following signs are observed:

- severe pallor of the skin in the affected area, the disappearance of sensitivity (including pain), the onset of itching, pain, swelling of soft tissues and redness after warming.

The second degree of frostbite is characterized by:

- edema, pallor and bluish tint of the skin, the presence of blisters with bloody contents.

Third degree frostbite:

is necrosis of the skin, underlying tissues. In children, as a rule, symptoms of general hypothermia also develop. Hemorrhagic blisters appear.

At the fourth degree of frostbite, the following is noted:

- necrosis of all tissue layers (including bone). The skin is purple, blisters with black liquid inside are visible. There is blackening and mummification of the affected area, the occurrence of dry or wet gangrene. There is no sensitivity in the area of ​​cold damage. Widespread and deep frostbite may be accompanied by a deterioration in the general condition. Body temperature rises, weakness, headache appear. The fourth degree of frostbite is associated with the risk of developing rhabdomyolysis (destruction of muscle tissue cells) and acute renal failure.

General hypothermia is manifested by such symptoms as:

- appearance of uncontrolled shivering;

- difficulty in pronunciation, jerky speech;

-feeling of great fatigue;

- pallor, cyanotic skin tone; impaired consciousness up to fainting.

- Body temperature during general hypothermia does not exceed 35 °C.

At the initial stage of the development of symptoms, the patient is agitated, trembling, trying to warm himself by increasing motor activity. After a while, the excitement is replaced by lethargy, apathy. There is a headache, dizziness, muscle tone decreases. You need to know that infants do not have shivering, so you should not rely on this sign when determining the likelihood of hypothermia. An alarming sign is the cessation of chills, difficulty in speech and voluntary movements, accompanied by a feeling of numbness of the fingers. The victim may feel pain in the muscles, he develops convulsions. Breathing and pulse weaken, the reaction to stimuli disappears, the face becomes "mask-like", paresis of the vocal cords occurs. In the terminal stage of hypothermia, arrhythmias and urinary incontinence may develop; involuntary movements of the limbs may be observed, the victim is unconscious.

Symptoms of hypothermia in young children may not always be bright, which requires systematic monitoring of body temperature!!!

Help for an injured child should be provided immediately after finding out the fact of hypothermia. Wherever the patient is - in the water, in the open air - he should be taken to a warm room. At the same time, it is important to prevent re-cooling during transportation, and to carry out the movement without unnecessary fuss.

In general hypothermia, excess movement can cause additional damage, arrhythmias. In case of frostbite, you can not rub and knead the damaged areas of the skin (including with snow), lubricate them with greasy creams, tightly bandage, lower them into hot water. These actions only exacerbate the severity of the defeat!!!

To help a child with local and general hypothermia, it is necessary: ​​

- stop contact with cold;

- remove wet, tight clothes and shoes;

- use warm blankets, blankets for wrapping;

- Apply an aseptic heat-insulating dressing to frostbite areas.

It is possible to warm a child affected by a cold with the body heat of a rescuer. Conscious children are given hot (at a comfortable temperature for drinking) sweet tea, compote. Do not use alcohol - either for external or internal use. Self-opening of bubbles is unacceptable. The bandage, which is applied as a heat-insulating bandage to areas of frostbite, consists of several layers of gauze with cotton wool between them. You can cover such a bandage with a rubberized cloth. In the absence of gauze and cotton wool, dry clean clothes are used. The bandage should be placed only on the damaged surface, without squeezing it.

In case of frostbite and general hypothermia, affected children need qualified medical assistance. Warming measures are provided at the place of discovery of the patient, during the transportation stage and after arrival at the medical facility.

Frozen on a walk: 7 ways to quickly warm a child - Parents.ru

Health Take children of all ages, other relatives, and pets and go for a walk!

If you feel cold, do the following immediately:

Get together and hug! Pat each other on the shoulders, stroke the sides, squeeze, rub the back between the shoulder blades.

If the baby is very cold, and there is no shelter nearby, open your outer clothing, lift up the sweater and let the baby cuddle right up to your body, hugging him. In this way, they even warmed up those pulled out of ice water!

Keep warm while walking with the breath practiced by yogis. Exhale forcefully, then hold your breath and continue walking quickly without breathing. You will see - your fingers and toes will warm up. The exercise can be repeated, but be careful - you may feel dizzy.

Photo

Choreograph/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Snack on a piece of chocolate, walnuts, or kurabie-style butter cookies. Small portions of such a warming food in the cold will be very useful, because when it is digested, the body temperature rises.

Take small sips of warm water. It is reasonable to take such water (or tea, juice) in a thermos with you on any “cold” walk with a child. Just do not pour boiling water into a thermos - you will burn yourself!

Just a little warm?

Strengthen your results with 12 joint warm-up exercises. All warm-up exercises are performed at an intensive pace several times.

Photo

Thomas Barwick/Getty Images/Digital Vision

For hands

1. Close and unclench your fingers firmly.

2. Rotate with outstretched arms, elbows bent.

3. Do circular rotations with outstretched arms, you can take turns.

4. Wave your arms, one up, one down. Or both up and down at once.

5. Cross and spread your arms vigorously at chest level.

6. Bend your arms at a right angle, clench your fists and bring your hands together as if you are applauding with your fists, but do not touch them.

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