Parents warned against keeping their babies too hot at night
According to the Daily Mail there has been an unexpected rise in infant deaths which has lead to an urgent warning to parents.
Parents have been warned about keeping babies too hot on a night as official figures seem to prove that the increase is linked to a spell of unusually cold weather earlier in the year. It’s more than likely that parents may have wrapped their babies in extra blankets as temperatures dipped causing their infant to overheat.
The Daily Mail reports: ‘The ONS said that a baby’s head may also become covered, which can be dangerous. The average temperature that February was 2.8C (37F), some 0.9 C below the UK average. March was even more chilly at 2.2C (36F) – the coldest since 1962 and 3.3C below average. A total of 21 babies died in cot death-like circumstances that February, three times as many as in the same month in 2012 and double the average figure over the previous three years.’
The Lullaby Trust, a charity supporting families affected by sudden infant deaths, said the figures underlined the need for parents to check that babies are not overheating.
The charity recommends putting babies sleeping in light bedding in rooms of between 16C (61F) and 20C (68F).
Here are some tips from the NHS for reducing the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome):
- If your baby is sweating or their tummy feels hot to the touch, take off some of the bedding. Don’t worry if your baby’s hands or feet feel cool – this is normal.
- Use lightweight blankets and remember that a folded blanket counts as two blankets.
- Babies don’t need hot rooms. All-night heating is rarely necessary. Keep the room at a temperature that’s comfortable for you at night. About 18°C (65°F) is comfortable.
CLICK HERE for more information on the NHS.
CLICK HERE for the full article on the Daily Mail.
