Keeping Your Baby Cool Through a Hyderabad Summer

From April to June the city sits at 38 to 43 degrees and babies, who cannot sweat efficiently, feel it first. The good news: most of what helps is simple and cheap. Soft cotton, shade, a sensible bath routine and timing the day around the heat.

Dress for the heat

• One light layer of 100% cotton: a sleeveless jhabla or vest and a nappy at home; a loose cotton suit outside.
• Light colours reflect heat; loose fits let air move. Skip polyester, nylon and anything with a thick lining.
• In an AC room (24 to 26 degrees), add a thin cotton layer or a muslin sheet, not a blanket.
• A soft cotton cap outdoors; none indoors.

Set up the room

• Cross-ventilation in the morning, curtains drawn by 11 am.
• If you use a cooler or fan, aim it away from the cot; the baby should feel moving air, not a draft.
• With AC, keep the room at 24 to 26 degrees and the baby in a cotton sleepsuit or under a muslin. Check the back of the neck: warm and dry is right, sweaty means too hot, cool means add a layer.
• Use a mosquito net rather than closing every window at dusk.

Bath and skin

• One to two baths a day in lukewarm water, with a mild baby wash. Pat dry; do not rub.
• Dry the neck, armpits, thigh folds and behind the knees properly. That is where heat rash starts.
• A light, non-greasy lotion if the skin is dry; nothing heavy in summer.
• Prickly heat: cotton only, keep folds dry, a cool wipe-down in the afternoon. If a rash spreads, blisters or the baby is unwell, see your paediatrician.

Hydration

Under 6 months, breast milk or formula is all a baby needs, offered more often in the heat. From 6 months, small sips of boiled and cooled water with meals and water-rich foods like watermelon and curd. Ask your paediatrician about amounts.

Outings

• Go out before 10 am or after 5 pm. Plan the pharmacy and the park, not the mall at noon.
• Use the stroller canopy and a mesh window, never a cloth draped over the opening; it traps heat inside.
• Never leave a baby in a parked car, even for two minutes with the windows down.
• Carry: water for you, a spare cotton outfit, wipes, a small hand fan and a muslin for shade on the go.

When to call the doctor

Fewer wet nappies than usual, a very flushed or very pale baby, unusual sleepiness or irritability, a hot body with no sweat, or a rash that spreads. These can be signs of overheating or dehydration; do not wait.

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