Taking a breath of fresh air and changing the environment can be beneficial for both you and your child. Therefore, when the weather is nice, you can take your child out for a walk. However, when going outdoors, make sure to dress your child appropriately as their temperature regulation system is not fully developed. As mentioned earlier, follow the principle of dressing your child in one layer more than you. When taking your baby outside, consider the following points.
Before 6 months of age, a baby's skin is quite sensitive to sunlight, so you should try to avoid direct sunlight exposure as much as possible. Remember that water, snow, sand, and concrete can also reflect sunlight and cause sunburns. If you plan to stay outdoors, ensure that you are in a shaded area and adjust your child's position with the sun. If you don't have sun-protective clothing, hats, or other shades, you can apply sunscreen to your child, but avoid large areas and only apply it to their face and the back of their hands. Test the sunscreen on their back beforehand to ensure they are not allergic. While sunscreen can be applied to the entire body, avoid the baby's eyes.
In hot weather, do not leave items used by the baby (such as car seats or strollers) in the sun for a long time. The plastic and metal parts of these items can heat up and burn the baby. Before using any item for the baby, always check the surface temperature. When parking, cover the car seat with a blanket or towel to prevent direct sunlight.
In cold weather or rainy days, keep the baby indoors as much as possible. If you must take the baby outside, wrap them up and make sure they wear a hat to cover their head and ears. When carrying the baby out in cold weather, you can also cover their face with a blanket. If you are driving, remember to remove their thick coats and bulky clothing before putting them in the car seat. Check the temperature of the baby's hands, feet, and chest to see if their clothing is appropriate. Generally, the baby's hands and feet should be slightly cooler than their chest but not cold. The baby's chest should feel warm to the touch. If the baby's hands, feet, and chest feel cold, take them to a warm room, unwrap their clothes, feed them, or cuddle them tightly to warm them with your body temperature. Until the baby's temperature returns to normal, adding more layers of clothing will not warm them up; it will only trap cold air inside the clothing. Therefore, take measures to restore the baby's temperature before wrapping them in more clothing.