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Kate Reynolds is a writer who's at her happiest when there's haloumi on the brunch menu and a dog to give pats to. She's worked as a travel writer, journalist, theatre reviewer, broadcaster and radio creative, and spends her weekends with as much of the aforementioned haloumi and dogs as possible.
She writes on Cammeraygal and Wangal land.
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5 min readHigh temperatures can be uncomfortable for adults, but for babies they carry an additional risk for overheating. When it comes to keeping your baby cool during summer, it’s good to be informed and prepared to take the necessary steps to keep our littlest family members nice and safe. Whether it’s at the beach, in your house or out in the pram, there are plenty of ways to keep your baby cool (and importantly, safe) in the warmer months.
This is less about keeping your baby cool and more about keeping them safe from harmful UV rays, but when looking to purchase a pram with a sunshade, make sure it’s UV resistant, too.
While this sometimes feels like an obvious go-to, using a muslin cloth or blanket over a pram is not recommended, as it restricts the airflow and can actually make the pram hotter. Plus, they don’t protect children from harmful UV rays.
These are nifty little devices that can be attached to your pram and gently cool your baby while circulating air throughout the pram.
This Snawowo pram fan has adjustable bendy legs that can easily be manoeuvred onto your pram's handle. It's also made of food-grade silicon, so if your baby ends up thinking it makes an excellent teething toy, you can rest assured the material is safe for bub.
Car window shades are one of the most important baby car safety products, not only keeping the sun off your baby when travelling in the car but also protecting your baby from harmful UV rays. When purchasing sun shades, always double check their UV rating. If you’ve got the budget, you could also get your windows tinted.
These Maxi Cosi car window shades come in a pack of two and are best suited for larger cars like 4WDs and SUVs. They block 90% of the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays providing excellent sun protection.
But not too cold! You just need the car to have a bit of airflow and a comfortable temperature. According to the Royal Women’s Hospital, anywhere between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius for air conditioning is fine.
Not only is it unsafe, it’s actually illegal in most Australian states to leave children (and pets) in the car, even on mild, cooler days. Cars can heat up and get to dangerous temperatures very quickly, and young children are at risk of rapid dehydration and overheating that can lead to death.
The beach can be a great place to cool down on a hot day, but the thing that almost all beaches lack naturally is shade! So bring your own. Beach cabanas give you your own little patch of shade on the sand, protecting you and your family from the hot rays of direct sunlight. And while beach tents can warm up quickly, cabanas enjoy a through-breeze.
What says 'beach day' more than blue and white stripes? This beach cabana from CNZON is made from a water resistant polyester with UPF 50+ sun coverage, offering you shade and sun protection when at the beach. It's easy to set up and pack away, making it the ultimate sun-safe beach accessory.
Make sure your cot or bassinet sheets are a light, breathable cotton or linen, and not warm flannelettes or stuffy synthetics. Bamboo is also naturally cool and soft.
Most sleep suits come with a TOG rating: 3.5 for cold winter nights, to 0.2 for summer nights of 22 degrees plus. If your baby uses sleepsuits, opt for the light 0.2 kind. If you’re not sure, ergoPouch has a dressing guide. And if it’s really hot, you can try just putting your baby to bed in their nappy.
Baths can be a calming part of your baby’s bed-time routine, so on warm summer nights pop bub in a lukewarm (but not cold) bath to help cool down before bed. Why not a cold bath? Because babies can cool down too quickly (even in hot water), increasing their risk of hypothermia.
Less of a tool to cool your baby and more of a way to easily gauge how hot a room is, having a room thermometer in your baby’s nursery takes the guesswork out of dressing your baby for the night.
This room thermometer by Tommee Tippee changes colour depending on the temperature of your baby's nursery: blue, yellow, orange and red corresponding with how cold or hot the room is, as well as a numerical display. Plus, it's a cute egg shape that's small and can be easily packed away for when you go on holiday.
On hot days, make sure your baby is getting enough fluids. This might mean giving breastfed babies some extra top up feeds, or giving older children water throughout the day. (Young breastfed babies don’t need water as the breast milk will hydrate them enough). And if you’re a breastfeeding parent, make sure you stay hydrated with plenty of water, too!
Shade is your friend on hot days, as is being indoors. Avoid the sun’s harsh rays; you’ll avoid getting sunburnt and getting too hot. Children under 12 months should be kept out of direct sunlight anyway, and those older (and this goes for adults, too!) should wear sun-smart clothing and a hat. Shade, while cooler than direct sun, doesn’t totally protect you from UV rays, so remember the Cancer Council’s ‘Five S’s’:
All five help us stay cool AND be safe in the sun.
Whether it’s your local shopping centre or under a nice shady tree at the park with a breeze, seeking out a cool location will help to beat the heat. Also check your local movie theatre - they often run parents-with-babies sessions, and most movie theatres have great air conditioning.
Light, breathable fabrics are going to help keep your baby cool in the heat. If you’re staying indoors, you can let bub run around in a nappy, but if you’re headed outside, think light-fitting breathable fabrics like cotton and bamboo.
This helps keep the sun (and subsequent heat) out of your house during the day.
When travelling with your baby, avoid doing too much in the hottest part of the day and save all your sightseeing for the morning, when daytime temperatures are not yet at their warmest.
Having a pool to splash around in is a great way to cool down, but take usual precautions: apply sunscreen, make sure your baby is wearing UV-protective swimwear, and avoid pools that are too cold for babies to avoid hypothermia.
Babies can get dehydrated really quickly, as they lose critical body fluids through sweating. Babies often don’t show any signs of being dehydrated or too hot, so it’s important to monitor them for things like being extra irritable, being ‘floppier’ than usual or having fewer than normal wet nappies.
Like dehydration, it can be hard to tell if your baby is suffering from heatstroke. Look for the same symptoms - fatigued, floppier behaviour, fewer wet nappies, and ensure your child is hydrated, dressed in cool clothing and generally kept cool.
Absolutely babies can overheat in summer, which is why it’s critical to keep them cool during the warmer months and avoid heat-related illnesses.
