How Newton's Law of Cooling Affects Babywearers
Well, not really. But I liked how the title sounded. What this post is really about is preventing heat-related illness or injury while babywearing in warm weather. Heat-related illness claims about 334 lives per year (6).
Heat exhaustion results from dehydration or poor heat acclimation and is more common in the early summer months. Symptoms include:
Tired, dizzy, anxious
Nausea and vomiting
Treat by moving to a cool space, rest and have the child drink cool water (3).
Heatstroke is a medical emergency. This happens when someone’s body temperature rises to greater than 104 degrees F. Symptoms include:
Weakness
Confusion
Loss of consciousness
Seizures
If you suspect heatstroke, CALL 911, remove clothes, apply cool water to the body, and use fans. People who have experienced heatstroke remain at a higher risk for reoccurrence later in life (3).
Certain populations are at higher risk of heatstroke:
Children younger than 4 and adults older than 65
People with a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, heart disease or lung disease
People who take certain medications such as heart medications, sedatives, water pills, medications to treat Parkinson’s (inhibits sweating),and stimulants (ADHD medications) (5, 4)
BMI greater than 25
People with sunburns (5)
Best ways to stay cool while babywearing in warm weather:
Evaporative (heat loss) – As perspiration or moisture on the skin evaporates into the air, the body is cooled. Stand in cool misters. Drip water on your head and on baby’s head. Keep yourself and your baby well hydrated, but do not overhydrate. Evaporative cooling is not as effective in very humid conditions.
Conductive –Unclothed skin cools more easily than clothed skin. Stay in the shade. Adult bodies cool more easily than a child’s. Monitor behavior closely.
Convective –Use fans. Stand in a breeze. Movement of water over the skin can cool someone 25 times faster than air. Sit in a puddle, put your legs in the pool, etc.
Radiation – People with higher metabolisms generate higher body temperatures (young people). People with higher percentages of fatty tissues may not radiate heat as well and are at higher risk of overheating and require more water to stay hydrated. Reducing physical activity in the heat will help you stay cooler (1, 2).
Infants and children are at higher risk for heat-related illness (3). It takes longer for children to acclimate to hot conditions, and children do not have the sweating capacity that adults do.
In conclusion, you CAN babywear in the summertime! But take precautions to ensure everyone stays healthy and enjoys the summer months. Be sure to hydrate, stay in the shade as much as possible, use a breathable carrier, monitor baby's behavior, and take a break whenever needed.
References:
1. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/bodcon.html
2. http://www.beyondcoldwaterbootcamp.com/mechanisms-of-heat-loss
3. King, Patricia L., (1995). The child with musculoskeletal or articular dysfunction. In Donna L. Wong & David Wilson (5th), Whaley & Wong’s Nursing Care of Infants and Children (1794-1867). St. Louis: Mosby, 1995
4. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heat-stroke/basics/risk-factors/con-20032814
5. http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/faq.asp
6. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/166320-overview#a6
7. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ama/?n=heatindex
8. http://www.drcruzan.com/HeatTransfer.html
