Released on: 25 August 2017

With temperatures set to soar this Bank Holiday Monday, here are some ideas for keeping cool if you’re pregnant or have babies and toddlers.

Try to avoid dehydration if you’re pregnant. Drink regularly and have plenty of cold drinks (water or diluted fruit juice are best).

• Like adults, babies and young children need to drink plenty of fluids to avoid becoming dehydrated.

• Signs of dehydration in babies include being more floppy or irritable than usual, having a sunken fontanelle (the soft spot on top of their head is lower than usual) and having fewer wet nappies than usual with darker urine.

• Formula-fed babies may behave as though they are hungry but it may be that they are actually thirsty. Offer water but continue to offer formula as normal. Breastfed babies usually don’t need extra water as long as they feed often.

• Be creative. When your child is over six months old, you could try giving them very diluted fruit juice, or homemade fruit juice lollies. NCT’s baby food partner, Piccolo, has created a short video showing how easy it is to make your own ice-lollies just using fruit and no added nasties.

• Keep your baby away from strong sunlight. Young children like to be outdoors but you may want to try to keep them indoors in the middle of the day when the sun is at its strongest.

• Dress your baby or toddler in loose, cool clothing and a hat if you go outdoors. Anything that lets air circulate next to their skin helps, such as a bigger brother or sister’s thin shirt.

• Try and keep babies in the shade. Some mums spread a light sheet/muslin over their buggies but this can make the inside of a buggy hot so keep checking your baby’s temperature if you do this. A sunshade is a better idea and usually cooler.

• Babies and children like to play with water so, shaded from the sun, try giving them a washing up bowl of water of giving them an outside bath. It’s never safe to leave babies or toddlers alone in water, though, so do keep an eye on them.

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