Should I take my baby outside in this cold weather?

Many ask if they should take their baby outside in the cold weather

This is not a question to be exclusively answered by a doctor. Mothers needs to decide on their own whether they fear the cold or whether they are determined to have their children be in the fresh air every day.  Generally though, since small babies have a large body surface and their temperature regulator is not yet developed, the younger the child the more careful we need be.  What’s more, since they are in a stroller and not active, we must think through when to take them for a walk.  

The child that can walk, can easily play outside

According to Doctor Krivácsy, children that are walking on their own, as they are dressed warmly, can go outside and play for one hour even in minus degree temperatures.  If you are very afraid of the cold, you may tie a scarf around the child’s mouth and nose to prevent the cold air from entering the respiratory tract directly.  Usually, there is no need for this.  The child’s ears should be covered, since the many blood vessels that abound here makes the cooling down of the ears unpleasant.

The common cold is, in reality, not caused by cold weather, explains dr. Krivácsy.  At most, the cold prepares the surface of the mucous membranes for the viruses.  It is also true that the nasal mucous membranes inflamed due to the cold makes our nose run.  The discharge, in this case, is watery and clear.

The actual common cold is not caused by the cold weather but by viruses.  These viruses actually prefer much more the relatively warmer temperatures around the freezing point than the cold dry air.  The doctor also mentions that upper tract disorders are influenced by community factors rather than temperatures.  Kindergarten parents are, generally, not even surprised in the first few months, when they find that their child is hardly over one illness when he or she catches another.  The person who does not yet go out into the community is relatively protected from pathogens even if she or he does much walking.  Should the child be coughing or has a slight cold, this is not cause for staying indoors.  We should not, however, the little ones outside if they are running a temperature.

Take good care of the little ones!

The very small children, who still lie or sit in a pram or stroller, should be treated with special care in the wintry weather.  Their clothing should be chosen more thoughtfully than those of the older ones even going so far as having them wear one more layer than what we would wear or choose well-insulated overalls.  They should be covered and, perhaps, a blanket put under them or a blanket bad to warm the baby’s entire body. 

The time we spend outside with the little ones should be limited to no more than 30 minutes.  It is difficult to set down rules regarding the length of time that a child may spend outside.  We can say for certain, though, that it is not advisable to take them outside before the age of three months and under no circumstances when they are a few weeks old.  The safest place for them is the warmth of the rooms in the house.                                                                                        

Source:  babaszoba.hu  

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