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NSW Health has issued a number of warnings about placing blankets, towels and light cloths over prams to cover up babies.

While it may seem as though you’re just harmlessly providing your child with shade, without significant airflow under the covering there is a significant increase of heat suffocation.

Overheating and re-breathing in carbon dioxide can also increase the baby’s risk of SIDS, shares Daily Mail.

Queensland Children’s Hospital director of paediatric medicine Dr David Levitt has suggested that temperatures under the covering can be 15C higher than the outside air temperature.

‘The combination of no airflow, heavier clothes and the babies’ poorer temperature regulation lead to potential heat injury which can be life-threatening,’ Dr Levitt told The Sunday Mail.

Parents are being advised by Queensland Health to keep babies out of the sun between 11am and 5pm as a precaution.

‘An enclosed pram can get very hot; try to ensure that the air circulates around your baby by removing the back panel (if possible) or placing them in more open strollers,’ their website states.

The NSW Health website advises that hot weather can affect your baby or child because their bodies cannot adjust to changes in temperature as well as adults.

Babies and children sweat less, reducing their bodies’ ability to cool down, and they generate more heat during exercise than adults.

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  • I live in QLD and I must admit that I often worry about bubs in prams that are covered like this especially during Summer when its so hot.

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  • There is a special cover that will fix to most strollers. It allows plenty of air circulation, acts as a screen against the sun rays and biting insects. I remember my Mum had mosquito nettings she used on pram and over the top of the cot. They were green, a soft fabric like sheer curtain material which allowed air flow that was tied tightly so baby/toddler could pull it down on themselves or push it onto the ground.

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  • People don’t listen because they “know better” than anyone else and “it’ll never happen to them”, still finding kids left in cars, it is ridiculous

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  • Great advice, I used to use a muslin cloth on my children’s pram but just from hood to handle leave sides open for air flow.

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  • I always just put a muslin wrap over the pram but with plenty of ventilation/lots of open spots the air could flow though. Never thought though, that it could get so hot in there.

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  • A great message during the recent heatwaves. I understand the reasoning behind it, to block out the sun and noise from our sleeping babes, but it’s a timely message in view of the heat we’ve been experiencing.

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  • Scary thought. Always used to cover pram in the bright sunshine.

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  • Gosh really? I thought that would’ve been common sense! Using a muslin wrap where there is more airflow would only be what I consider to use during summer but also to keep checking on the baby to ensure they aren’t over heating!

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  • This is worth noting, scary to think how many people do it, thank you for the reminder.

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  • Great reminder.

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  • I am amazed to see babies even out in hot weather, why not use screening like you can get for car windows, still has the airflow, and also keep baby facing you so you can keep an eye on bub. I never would face my baby the other way and cannot understand why parents do this, how scary for them to never see their parent and face the world ahead.

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  • I cringe everytime I see mums do this and hope this article can shed some light to those who don’t know how dangerous it actually is

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  • Wow scary thought.. great advice

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  • Great advice – in a pram the baby needs the breeze around him/her.

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  • It could become really hot under a cover indeed. Better be careful.

    Reply

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