Healthy Room Temperature For Babies

Key points on room temperature.

Healthy room temperature for babies.

Babies control their temperature predominantly through the face and head. Even full term and healthy newborns may not be able to maintain their body temperature if the environment is too cold. To make temperature monitoring easier you might consider room sharing with your baby. If skin temperatures drop just one degree from the ideal 97 7 f 36 5 c a baby s oxygen use can increase by 10 percent.

In general the best baby room temperature isn t too hot or too cold. If the room your infant sleeps in doesn t have a thermostat use a portable indoor thermometer to keep track of how warm or cool the bedroom is. Scott says a normal room temperature between 68 and 72 degrees fahrenheit is a safe range for baby. When babies are cold stressed they use energy and oxygen to generate warmth.

Accordingly it is important that you maintain comfortable room temperatures in both winter and summer months. The answer may surprise you. The lullaby trust in the uk recommends keeping the temperature of your baby s room between 16 and 20 60 8 f and 68 f with an ideal temperature of 18 c 65 f. Luckily there s a range so you don t have to keep your home at one exact temperature.

There s no need to kick up the thermostat just because there s a baby in the house and lots of blankets aren t necessary either. Though babies can regulate their body temperatures it is not as effective as adults can. Overheating may increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome sids in babies one month to one year of age. In fact the aap recommends placing a crib or bassinet that has a firm mattress and conforms to the consumer product safety commission s standards in your room ideally for the first year but at least for the first six months of your baby s life.

Red nose does not recommend a specific room temperature for healthy babies. Sleeping baby on the back with the head and face uncovered is the best way to protect baby from overheating. It s important to make sure your baby s room is at the right temperature but what is the right temperature for a healthy baby. Room temperatures may be the cause of your baby s low body temperature.