Don’t cover baby’s pram when it’s hot, parents told

Experts have warned against using muslin cloth for shade as it increases the risk of overheating

PARENTS have been warned not to cover their babies’ prams with muslin cloths during hot weather as it could raise the risk of overheating, as temperatures soar.

Covering a pram with a blanket or light cloth could increase the chances of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), according to guidance from the Lullaby Trust which was included on an NHS advice page.

Swedish researchers found that the common practice of using a blanket to block out the sun increased heat and lowered air circulation.

The advice on the website of NHS Surrey said: “By covering the pram with a blanket or light cloth the heat inside the pram increases which could lead to overheating. This is one of the risk factors that increase the chances of SIDS occurring.”

It added: “Your view of the baby will also be blocked which means you can’t see if your baby is getting into any difficulty and because the blanket is in the way it may be more difficult to check if your baby is getting too hot.”

The National Childbirth Trust said while it may appear counter-intuitive, parents should avoid using a cloth cover and instead use a parasol or sunshade clipped to their pram to stop children from overheating.

An NCT spokesman said: “With UK temperatures potentially hitting 30C and over this weekend, it’s a good idea to keep your baby out of direct sunlight and in a cooler place between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is strongest.”

Around 200 babies die of SIDS per year. Its exact causes are not fully understood, but it has been linked to problems regulating heart rate, breathing and temperature.

The heatwave is expected to peak today with temperatures in London reaching at least 33C (91.4F) and potentially breaking the all-time June record of 35.6C (96.1F).

Temperatures will be in the high 20s elsewhere, reaching 27C (80.6F) in Cardiff, ahead of thundery downpours at the weekend.

Before Wednesday, this year’s hottest day so far was 27.5C (81.5F), set in midmay at Heathrow.

Dr Mark Mccarthy, head of the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, said: “Reaching 34C during June is a rare, but not unprecedented, event in the historical climate records for the UK.”

With temperature records broken in recent years, experts are increasingly warning about the dangers of hot weather.

‘Because the blanket is in the way it may be more difficult to check if your baby is getting too hot’

There were around 3,000 heatrelated deaths in England last year, with babies and those over 75 among the most vulnerable. Prof Hannah Cloke, of the University of Reading, said: “While some of the advice on avoiding heatwave risk may seem like stating the bleeding obvious, it can genuinely save lives.

“We need to check on vulnerable people, as well as improving buildings, infrastructure and daily schedules to avoid heat risks.”

Prof Damian Roland, a consultant in paediatric emergency medicine, said while there are risks of babies overheating in prams, the risk of sunburn is likely higher.

Muslins “do not prevent air circulating”, he said, but added: “Don’t cover a baby if airflow will be compromised, that could cause overheating. It’s important, though, that babies are not at any risk of sunburn.”