Babies in hot weather

Hot conditions can put your baby at risk of overheating. Overheating can be dangerous for their health. Babies and young children do not sweat as much as adults, making it hard for them to cool down. They are unable to regulate their body temperatures like adults. For this reason, it is very important to prevent your baby from overheating.

Here are some tips to keep your baby safe in the heat:

Here are some tips to keep your baby cool when they are sleeping:

• Make sure that air can move around your baby by removing any padding around their cot.
• Use cotton sheets to absorb sweat and keep your baby comfortable.
• Use curtains or blinds to block out direct sunlight where practical.
• Think about moving your baby's cot to a cooler, well-ventilated room in the house.
• If it's cooler outside, keep the windows open to maintain airflow. If you are in a hot climate, use an air conditioner or a fan. Make sure that the cool air doesn't blow directly on them.

Remember to put your baby to sleep according to the safe sleeping guidelines. Place your baby on their back to sleep and make sure their head is uncovered.

During hot weather, your baby's sleep patterns may change. They may be sleepier in the hotter parts of the day and have bursts of energy when it cools down.

Never leave your baby to sleep in a pram.

Your baby should not be too hot when they are sleeping. Research shows there can be a connection between overheating and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

If you need to take your baby out on a hot day, the Cancer Council has recommendations about sun safety and how to slip, slop, slap, seek and slide.

It is important you follow recommendations because babies and young children can easily get sunburnt in Australia, even on cooler or overcast days. The damage the sun does to your baby's skin is cumulative. This means that the more they are exposed to the sun or the more they have been sunburnt, the higher their risk of skin cancer is.

It is not recommended to put sunscreen on babies younger than 6 months. This is because their skin is very absorptive.

Try to stay indoors with your baby during the hottest part of the day and plan activities that are indoors.

You can check the weather forecast for your area on the Bureau of Meteorology website.

Download the Cancer Council SunSmart app to find out the UV levels in your location.

To check how warm your baby is, place your hand on their chest or back. This will give you a better idea of how hot they are than just feeling their hands or feet. Generally, a baby's hands and feet feel cooler than their body.

• The Royal Women's Hospital has practical advice about protecting your baby and young children during a heatwave.
• Learn more about sun protection for babies and children at Cancer Council NSW.
• Red Nose Australia has a resource explaining how to protect your baby from overheating during sleep.

Other languages

NSW Health have translated their fact sheet 'Beat the heat – Heat and health: Babies and young children' into many community languages.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

Visit Birthing on Country for information on projects that support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander babies and their families.

RedNose has information about putting your baby to sleep safely for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.