When to stop putting a hat on baby inside the house? - Page 2

[Marsupialmom]

Please don't trust the hands and feet on if a person is cold all over! I have horriblely cold feet. I always have. My mom stuff me in socks and clothes until the doctor told her that she was over dressing and causing a rash and yeast issues.

Dress how you would dress. If they get cold they will let you know. Baby's that are to hot are more likely to sleep through that is why there is a risk of SID's and over dressing.

[sunnygir1]

Originally Posted by melamama

I think most people give up on hats fairly soon.

For us, I think they're important for the first year. I have several silk and silk/wool knitted ones that my 4m wears inside, then warmer wool ones for outside. (but I know even here this is unusual).

Yeah.

Dd was born in February, and I kept her in a hat -- indoors, outdoors, and sleeping -- except when it was very hot. Ds was born in September, and I expect he will wear a hat most of the time until hot summertime (if we get any hot weather this summer).

I am surprised to read that most of the people who responded don't use hats on babies. If my baby felt hot, I might take the hat off (after ruling out fever). My babies don't have much for hair, and I think I would feel cool in the fall, winter, and spring if I were bald and didn't cover my head.

When I feel particularly warm and when we take a bath, I get to see his cute little fuzzy head.

I have traveled to the mountains of Guatemala, and the indigenous families we know there also keep hats on their babies for the first year, maybe two. You never see babies' heads there. It is a tradition for them, and they believe it to be very important for the child's well-being. I guess I thought it was more common here too.

[mamazee]

Bald people I know only wear hats during the winter, and then only outside, and they seem comfortable enough. My understanding is that a baby should wear one more light layer more than you're comfortable with.

[sunnygir1]

Originally Posted by mamazee

My understanding is that a baby should wear one more light layer more than you're comfortable with.

Well, if you include the head in this, then a light hat on a baby is perfect.

[Auraji]

I never really put a hat on DD. She would just take it off, she always seem to be warmer than I am. Now that is cold, she wears a fleece bear suit when we go out, so her head is covered, but nothing during spring, summer or early fall.

[mamazee]

Originally Posted by sunnygir1

Well, if you include the head in this, then a light hat on a baby is perfect.

I usually have a onesie or t-shirt on a baby under their clothes, and that's the extra layer.

Also, isn't "layering" by definition having one thing underneath other stuff? Not sure if a hat qualifies as that.

[justKate]

Originally Posted by alegna

I didn't have hats on either baby past the first day, but both of mine were summer babies in Houston. If your baby seems to need it, then follow their lead.

-Angela

DD was born in February in Key West, FL, where it is never cold. Well, almost never. Our midwife cautioned against hats beyond the first week exactly because babies lose heat from their heads--given where we were, she was concerned about DD being able to regulate her own temperature adequately (cool herself) with a hat.

So the answer is, dum de DUM DUM:

It depends! I say if your LO seems to need it, then stick a lightweight, breatheable hat on him.

Congratulations on your new bundle of joy!

ETA: she also never wore socks until we moved to Texas where it does, in fact, get cold!

[melamama]

Originally Posted by Marsupialmom

Dress how you would dress. If they get cold they will let you know. Baby's that are to hot are more likely to sleep through that is why there is a risk of SID's and over dressing.

Actually babies and children are unable to accurately gauge their body temp until after 7. Until then we must make sure they are warm enough.

Also I don't think the comfort level of a bald adult is useful as a gauge of the comfort level of an infant.

Obviously you wouldn't want to over heat them and endanger them in any way, but I see WAAY more underdressed babies than overdressed ones.

[JL83]

Originally Posted by melamama

Actually babies and children are unable to accurately gauge their body temp until after 7. Until then we must make sure they are warm enough.

Do you have any scientific basis for this claim?

It has NOT been my experience at all. My DD has been able to gauge whether or not she is too hot/cold since birth. She runs hot. We learned that the hard way by dressing her the way we were taught (onsie under a sleeper) and then having her scream and scream and scream until we took off her layers. All was not lost, by the age of 18 months she would reject her coat until she took a couple steps outside and then ask for it.

[melamama]

here is one article on warmth that was good enough for me.

I think we all have to do what is best for our child. If you believe your child is too hot, obviously the right thing for you both is to heed her.

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by liliaceae

Yes I believe you're not supposed to keep your baby too warm at night because it's a SIDS risk.

Yep.

No hats while sleeping after the first few days.


Other than that, follow the baby's lead. As for checking to see if the baby is too hot/cold, check arms and legs, not feet and hands. Feet and hands will always be chillier on an infant, just because of circulation.

[mamazee]

Originally Posted by melamama

here is one article on warmth that was good enough for me.

I think we all have to do what is best for our child. If you believe your child is too hot, obviously the right thing for you both is to heed her.

That's talking about kids playing outside in cool weather without a jacket. My dd would love to go outside to play without a coat and hat and mittens in the winter if I'd let her, but of course I don't. It doesn't say that babies need to wear a hat inside and out in all kinds of weather for a year. If either of my kids, baby or big kid, wears a hat in nice weather, it's only to keep the sun off them.

[sunnygir1]

Originally Posted by Kelly1101

Yep.

No hats while sleeping after the first few days.

Again, all these silly rules have to be modified by circumstances. My babies both got cold at night if they weren't wearing a hat. If their bodies feel cool to the touch, that's too cold for my comfort. If they felt hot, I would use less clothing/blankets.

[noobmom]

Originally Posted by littleteapot

*cough*
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/20...humanbehaviour

Interesting link!

I think it doesn't quite apply to babies since their heads are disproportionately bigger. So, assuming you lose an equal amount of heat for every square inch of exposed skin (poor assumption since it depends on circulation, but we'll go with it), babies would lose a lot more heat through their heads than the 10% that adults do.

I never kept a hat on DS, but he was born in Sept. This one is coming in Jan, so maybe I'll have to think about it!