Archive for ‘August 7th, 2010’
Small babies produce more heat than adults. Their body temperature increases in the first months and peaks, around the sixth month, at 99.5, after which it starts to decrease gradually. During the first year, you should avoid exposing the baby to extreme heat or cold. Doctors recommend maintaining room temperature between 68 and 72 degrees during this time, avoiding letting the baby become overheated. The rule of thumb for this age, as well as for smaller infants, is to dress your baby no more or less heavily than you dress yourself for a given outdoor temperature. The exception: Babies should wear hats in cool (not just cold) weather, and a sun hat is a must to protect a baby's delicate skin and scalp from burning ultraviolet rays. By the age of four or five months, the infection-fighting antibodies with which babies are born have diminished. Thus, a number of babies get their first colds during these months, particularly if they have older siblings or are exposed to other childre...