Abstract
Carrying babies in a sling, that is, babywearing, is a popular practice among new parents. Babies are thermally vulnerable and public health bodies advise to dress them in one extra layer than the adult. However, these guidelines do not consider babywearing and it is unclear whether babies’ clothing insulation should be modified during babywearing. Here we quantified the effects of babies’ clothing layers on the thermoregulatory responses to short duration babywearing in babies under 12 months old. Nine babies (4F/5M; 7.3 ± 3.1 months; 9 ± 2.5 kg) and 9 mothers (34 ± 3.0 years) performed two trials in a thermoneutral environment (23°C; 50%RH). During trials, babies wore either 1 (sleepsuit) or 2 (vest + sleepsuit) clothing layers, and mothers performed 15‐min stepping exercise while babywearing. We recorded mothers and babies’ tympanic temperature (T ty), babies’ local skin temperatures (T sk; on the carotid artery area, arm, abdomen, lower back, and thigh), and mothers’ perception of babies’ thermal state. Babies’ T ty did not change after 15‐min babywearing (mean change: −0.13°C [−0.30, +0.05]; p = .141), in either clothing trial (difference between trials: +0.05°C [−0.15, +0.25]; p = .591). On the contrary, local T skin increased across all sites tested (mean increase = +0.71°C [+0.41, +1.01]; p = .038) and similarly between clothing trials, with the abdomen showing the largest change (+1.10°C [+0.32, +1.85]). Mothers did not perceive any change in babies’ thermal state. We show that 15‐min babywearing increase babies’ skin, but not tympanic, temperature by up to 1.1°C on certain body regions, and that this effect is not exacerbated by adding 1 layer of light clothing to the baby.
Highlights
New-borns and young infants are thermally vulnerable (Bacon, 1983) and public health bodies advise to dress babies in “one extra layer” than the adult to ensure appropriate thermal protection (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2015; National Health Service, 2012; World Health Organization, 1997)
This poses a challenge for new parents, as they often must rely on their own experiences to identify the thermal demands of their babies and act (Gadsden, Ford, & Breiner, 2016)
Overheating due to overwrapping and excessive clothing has been associated with an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (Fleming et al, 1990), a leading cause of death in babies under 12 months old (Kinney & Thach, 2009)
Summary
New-borns and young infants are thermally vulnerable (Bacon, 1983) and public health bodies advise to dress babies in “one extra layer” than the adult to ensure appropriate thermal protection (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2015; National Health Service, 2012; World Health Organization, 1997). | 2 of 9 generalized, and they seldom consider how the thermal demands of a baby may change depending on whether the baby is laying in a cot or being carried in a sling outdoor This poses a challenge for new parents, as they often must rely on their own experiences to identify the thermal demands of their babies and act (e.g., changing babies’ clothing insulation) (Gadsden, Ford, & Breiner, 2016). It is important that the development of scenario-specific advice on how to ensure the thermal protection of the new-born is guided and informed by empirical research One such scenarios where empirical evidence on the thermoregulatory demands of babies is limited, is that of babywearing. Overheating due to overwrapping and excessive clothing has been associated with an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (Fleming et al, 1990), a leading cause of death in babies under 12 months old (Kinney & Thach, 2009)
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