When Is It Too Cold to Go for a Walk With an Infant?

Being cooped up all winter with your baby can be a prescription for boredom, especially if you're used to being out and about and active. You can often take your baby out for a walk in the winter, as long as you follow common-sense precautions and watch your baby closely for signs of hypothermia or frostnip, the forerunner of frostbite.

  1. Temperature Guidelines

    • In some parts of the world, babies go out in sub-zero weather with their parents -- but they're dressed in animal hides up to their eyeballs. For the average American parent taking her baby out in a stroller, consider temperatures of 28 degrees -- the temperature at which frostbite can affect unprotected skin, according to MayoClinic.com -- as possibly being too cold for your baby, unless you bundle him up well. Consider between 20 and 30 degrees as a caution zone and check your baby more frequently for signs of chilling; don't take your baby out for more than a minute or two to get in the car in temperatures below 20 degrees, CNN Health advises.

    Considering the Wind

    • There's a a reason why the weather person always mentions the wind chill factor: Wind makes cold weather even colder and more damaging. Humidity -- the amount of moisture in the air -- also affects the wind chill factor. The windier it is and the more moisture the air holds, the more likely your baby is to become easily chilled. If the temperature is 28 degrees but the wind chill makes it feel like 18 degrees, keep your baby inside and use the treadmill instead of taking a walk.

    Dressing for the Weather

    • If you're taking your baby out for a walk, you need to dress him warmly, paying special attention to appendages, which get less blood flow and can freeze more quickly. Hands, feet, fingers and toes as well as ears and noses all fall into the category of appendages. Your baby need a warm hat that covers his ears as well as the top of his head. Mittens keep little fingers warmer than gloves; baby boots should provide warmth as well as fashion. Dress your baby in one more layer of clothing than you would feel comfortable going out in, pediatrician Dr. William Sears recommends.

    Signs to Watch For

    • Your baby might not fuss when he starts getting too cold, so you need to keep a close eye on him. If his skin starts to turn red and feels cold to the touch, he might be developing frostnip, the precursor to frostbite. Take him inside immediately and remove any damp clothing, which can exacerbate the chill. Frostbite turns skin white and waxy-looking. Contact your baby's doctor immediately if you suspect he might have frostbite; rewarming the skin incorrectly, rubbing it or having it refreeze after partial thawing can cause more harm.

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