Stéphanie Tingman, cosmetician at Brunet Lafontaine and Brunet in St-Jérôme
As colder weather sets in, we need to make a whole slew of adjustments. It’s true for everyone, including babies. Here are some tips to keep your baby healthy, safe, and comfy.
Newborns, of course, are more delicate and vulnerable than we are. To prevent the string of illnesses – colds, bronchiolitis, otitis, angina, and gastro – to which infants are prone in cold weather, you need to take a number of precautions. Here are five of them.
1
Rule number one: always keep in mind that an infant’s skin is much more fragile than your own. You won’t feel the cold as keenly as your baby, which is something you need to remember when dressing her.
A baby’s pink skin isn’t just pretty – it’s also very delicate. Exposure to cold weather can irritate your baby’s skin and lead to rashes, dryness and even eczema.
Be sure to clothe your little one in several layers and don’t leave any part of her body exposed to the cold air. Use scarves, hats, gloves.
2
Dry skin is more vulnerable to various infections. After your child’s bath in the evening and before going outdoors in the morning, apply a generous layer of cream. Ask for advice in store to find out what products are best suited for your child.
3
The air in our homes isn’t as clean as we might think. Our everyday activities – use of sprays, cooking, heating, moisture from bathrooms and the laundry room, and even our breathing – release particles into the air that may in the long run have an adverse effect on babies’ health.
Open your windows for a good ten minutes every day to clear the air.
4
Out of concern for baby’s comfort, we tend to overheat our homes. That’s a mistake. The temperature should not exceed 20°C or 21°C. Excess heating not only dehydrates skin, it irritates airways, making baby more likely to catch colds and other conditions.
5
Do you have a cold? Every kiss and hug is an opportunity to spread germs. If you have a cold, wash your hands regularly and replace kisses with air-kisses.
You may change the store at any time.
