In January, one scene of my son, one month old wearing a medium-thick long sleeve rompers and went for a stroll.
It was extremely cold, so I covered his body with a thick coverlet to protect him from the wind.

　Recently, air is becoming chilly and the footsteps of the winter could be sensed. In a month it will become chillier and finally the winter starts. During these times, we easily get out of condition and I hope you will take good care of yourselves.

　This time, I would like to speak on baby’s winter season preparation. There are 4 points. ①Room temperature, ②Room wear, ③Outdoor wear, ④Sleepwear. I hope it will serve as some reference for the expecting mother who is going to give birth for the first time in the winter season and the family. As this topic based on the real experience is not adequately found in the internet and books, I have organized the following contents myself through consulting the experts and considerably studying myself from a year ago to after childbirth. As for the room temperature, it slightly differs whether you are considering a newborn baby or an infant (around one-year-old). In general, approximate temperature 20~26℃ and humidity 50~60% are considered to be comfortable for the baby. It seems that higher temperature and humidity suit the newly born suckling, and lower temperature and humidity for the toddler. This is because newly born baby’s self-control function of body temperature and skin barrier is weak, and the baby tends to gets cold and skin becomes dry. The suitable temperature and humidity for the newly born are slightly hot and stuffy for the adult. In this connection, in early February, one month after birth, when the pediatrician asked me about the room temperature and I answered 26℃ and the doctor pointed out that “It may be too cold for the newborn baby.” As such, I think in some case when you touch the baby’s neck and back and felt slightly chilly, then it may be better to adjust according to the baby’s individuality to higher temperature than general standard. As the baby grows to be a toddler, temperature self-control and skin barrier function will improve, and then the infant’s comfortable temperature and humidity will approach that of the adult. And controlling room temperature using air conditioner or circulator, please be careful that the air does not directly hit the baby.

　As for the room wear, baby sweats even with slight movement compare to that of the adult, so we should be careful not to dress the baby thickly. When the room temperature is controlled, light ~ medium-thick long sleeve and long pants are recommended. In case the room temperature is not sufficiently controlled and the room is chilly, it may be all right to dress the baby with thick wear, but if the baby’s neck or back is sweating, it is too hot and it is good to check it for the baby. And it is important not to make the baby put on mittens and socks at home. Baby is learning and inputting important information from the sense of hands and feet not only temperature but also sense of touch. It is already known that if the baby puts mitten and socks daily, the development of these sensing functions are being arrested, and so in many cases, the medical concerns advice not to have baby put on mittens even to prevent scratching.

　As for the outdoor wear, if the temperature is about the same as Tokyo where I live, I do not recommend to dress baby with too thick wear. When the winter cold becomes severe, I often see mothers worry and go out dressing the baby in much too thick coat or over fluffy rompers, and in fact this may produce a contrary result. As I wrote in the previous room wear that baby sweats easily. When baby goes out dressed in fluffy wear, inside this fluffy wear may become hot for the baby to sweat. And the wear is wet with baby’s sweat, and if by chance, cold outside air comes in and then the moisture absorbed in the wear is chilled at once and chills the baby’s body.

　It is better to dress baby with medium-thick rompers and use outer jacket or coverlet for additional warming, and it is better to adjust putting on or taking off by watching the baby’s condition and environment change. I have equipped blanket holder to the baby-car and cover baby’s body with blanket, and this is quite effective in protecting from the chill of the wind. As for covering baby’s hands, it is better to give consideration not to cover during the short stroll or just cover with thin gloves so that the baby does not lose his sense. As for the socks when going out, it is all right to wear a thin socks and it could protect his feet from the dust. As a baby is not good at adjusting body temperature, and so the hands and feet are naturally chilled when goes out to cold place, but there is no need to worry too much as long as the body, which controls body temperature adjustment is protected, then, when the baby returns to the room, the temperature of hands and feet will be recovered.

　As for the sleepwear, we should consider according to baby’s posture in sleep and character. And it also depends on whether the room temperature could be adjusted or not. In case the room temperature is adjusted to comfortable temperature for the baby, and if the baby is not yet learned to control the head and to turn over in bed, then baby does not kick off the futon, so it is all right with thin sleepwear and put on a futon or blanket. And for the type of baby who does not like to put on a futon (my son is this type) or after learning to turn over and sleeping posture is vigorous, dress the baby with medium thick sleepwear then you do not need to worry. Even if the baby kicks futon off with the adjusted room temperature, baby’s body will not be over chilled so that there is no need to put on the removed futon again. However “thin clothing” such as letting baby sleep in underwear only will slowly chill the baby’s body so it should be avoided. When room temperature could not be adjusted and let the baby sleep in chilly room, instead of covering with futon, which may be ripped off, it is safer to have the baby wear sleeper on top of medium-thick long sleeve and long pants sleepwear so that there is no worry of being ripped off. As for myself, though I am adjusting the room temperature, as my son decisively refuses to be covered by futon, so I make him wear medium-thick sleepwear or when it is being washed, I make him wear sleeper on top of thin sleepwear. (photo below)

　 This time as I wanted to write all of the specific details, it came out to be a quite long column. I would like to thank you for reading it. I have written variety of cases, yet each family has a different circumstances, I hope you will refer to this column and freely arrange the best winter preparation for each of the baby.
 

9 months after birth, sleeping wearing a sleeper on top of sleepwear.