What temperature should room temperature be for newborns? What is the optimal temperature in the room for a newborn and how to maintain it

For a child who has just been born, it is important to create favorable conditions. This is necessary so that the process of adaptation of the body to the external environment goes better and without any consequences. It is important to take care of the room and place where the baby will play and sleep. But that's not all - no last place plays the air temperature in the room.

The newborn sleeps a lot at first, but everything internal organs working with redoubled force. This is especially true for organs associated with metabolism. Therefore, you should not be afraid that he may freeze: even if the air temperature is 18 degrees, the baby feels quite comfortable. Adults may experience discomfort at this temperature level. This is due to poor diet and lifestyle, resulting in impaired thermoregulation.

A person releases excess heat from the body through the lungs and skin.

1. The air a child inhales is cooler than his or her own body temperature. Passing through the respiratory organs, the air warms up. When you exhale, excess heat comes out. The greater the difference in temperature, the more active heat transfer occurs.
2. Excess heat can escape through sweat when the room is hot and your lungs can't cope. Excess salt and moisture are released with sweat.

Violation of these mechanisms leads to the appearance of the following symptoms.

1. Dry mouth occurs and thrush may develop.
2. The nasal mucosa dries out, swells, and crusts appear. All this makes breathing difficult, the child stops sleeping peacefully and becomes irritable. A cough may occur.
3. Due to the release of moisture, the child may experience constipation.
4. Skin problems appear. Particularly affected are the areas under the diaper. Irritation, dryness, and inflammation of the skin occur, especially in the folds (diaper rash).

Against this background, dehydration may occur, which requires urgent hospitalization.

The best temperature regime for a newborn

The optimal temperature in the room should be 20 degrees. It is at this mark on the thermometer that the child’s body functions without interruption. It is better to buy a room thermometer and hang it directly above the baby’s crib. In this case, you can be absolutely sure that the created conditions are comfortable for the baby. Don't trust your personal feelings.

In the summer months, you can use air conditioning - it is only important to ensure that the air flow passes at a great distance from the crib. In the summer, you can do the following to ensure that the room temperature is at the required level.

1. The room should be ventilated frequently. At this moment the child is moved to another room. It is worth ventilating for at least 30 minutes 4 times a day.
2. If heating appliances get very hot, you can cover them with a towel. To create moisture, wet them with water.
3. In hot weather, there is no need to wrap your child in extra clothes.
4. Drinking plenty of fluids will help replenish the loss of salt and fluid in the body.
5. You can take a bath several times a day. This is both hardening and hygiene. You should not specifically warm up the room before swimming. After water procedures the baby needs to be kept longer terry towel so that the body gets used to the set temperature regime.
6. It is worth abandoning the canopy over the crib and high sides - in addition to collecting dust, they prevent the free circulation of fresh air.

If the temperature in the room is about 19 degrees, then the child can be dressed in a light shirt and rompers, and then the sleep will be sound and restful. It is worse if the temperature is the same or slightly higher, and the child is wrapped in a warm blanket. Young children tolerate cool air better than overheated air.

If the room temperature is low (about 14 degrees), the child's body begins to work even harder to generate the necessary heat. It won't do any harm. Hardening occurs, which is useful in resisting colds, but this only applies to healthy children. It's not about the children who were born ahead of schedule– for them, the optimal indoor air temperature is 24-26 degrees.

What signs can you use to understand that a child is not cold or overheated?

These include the following:

Conclusion: for healthy child The normal temperature in the room is 18-20 degrees. If the child has a cold or is premature, then the temperature norm rises to 26 degrees.

How to recognize overheating or hypothermia in a newborn

If a child is overheated, the following symptoms occur:

• severe crying;
• refusal to eat;
• redness skin;
• breathing and heartbeat become frequent;
• skin disorders (prickly heat, rash).

Signs of hypothermia:

• hands and feet become cold;
• the nasolabial triangle becomes blue;
• the skin turns pale and becomes marbled.

Don't forget about hydration

It is also necessary to humidify the air. When it enters the respiratory tract and lungs, it warms up and becomes enriched with moisture. As you exhale, the air has high humidity. If a baby inhales dry air, then his body performs the function of moisturizing with maximum force. As a result, energy is wasted and the body becomes dehydrated. To moisturize you need:

• purchase a humidifier or hang wet terry towels around the room;
• do wet cleaning regularly;
• ventilate the room.

The optimal air humidity in the room where there is a baby should not be less than 50%. If the air humidity in the room is high, the baby sweats, but heat production decreases or stops, and there is a risk of getting sick. The situation is aggravated by the appearance of mold and mildew on the walls. This negatively affects the child’s respiratory tract - in addition to respiratory diseases, allergies may occur.

After the silence and tranquility of the mother’s womb, the baby enters our world without effective thermoregulation mechanisms, so the responsibility for maintaining a comfortable temperature falls on the shoulders of caring parents. In order not to harm the child in the first days of life, it is important to maintain the right climate, avoiding hypothermia and overheating.

Signs of overheating easy to recognize, because they cause severe discomfort to the baby.

The baby's skin becomes red, covered with sweat, and diaper rash appears in places where sweat secretions accumulate. White spots of thrush may appear in the mouth, and dry crusts may form in the nose, making breathing difficult. Dehydration may cause your baby to have difficulty digesting.

If you notice these symptoms, try lowering the temperature in the room, rid your baby of excess clothing, and give him some water between feedings. .

If the baby is cold , you will notice that his nose, legs and arms are not just cool, but “icy”; he presses the arms of his legs to himself, keeping warm. In this case, you need to use socks or more warm clothes or a blanket. Signs of hypothermia may include decreased appetite and lethargy, and slower weight gain. Hypothermia increases the likelihood of developing colds. But still remember that it is much easier to overheat a child than to overcool him.

Optimal temperature in a baby's room

Pediatricians recommend maintaining the temperature in the baby's nursery at a level of 18 to 22 degrees. Under such conditions, a baby usually only needs a light bodysuit or a vest with a medium-weight blanket for a comfortable sleep. For children born prematurely, it is worth raising the temperature slightly, to 24-26 degrees.

To easily control the climate in your child's room, hang a thermometer on the wall near the crib. One glance at his testimony will be enough for you to determine the cause of the baby’s anxiety.

How to regulate the room temperature?

Once you determine the appropriate temperature for your baby, all you have to do is maintain it at a constant level, which is far from easy in an ordinary apartment.

You can reduce the air temperature in the summer heat by using an air conditioner. It is important that the stream of cool air is not directed at the crib, and it is better to cool the room when the baby is outside. You can get by with regular ventilation, which is recommended several times a day while the baby is on a walk or in the next room.

Maintaining a comfortable temperature for a baby in winter can be more difficult than in summer. An electric heater without an open spiral is suitable for heating a room, but you can cool an excessively heated room by ventilating it. You can reduce the heat from a too hot battery if you cover it with a thick blanket or rug.

When operating radiators or central heating It is important to pay attention to the relative air humidity, which in the baby’s room should not drop below 50%. Instead of special humidifiers, you can use open containers of water, wet towels or fountains.

Individual approach to each baby

Now you have an idea of ​​the general recommendations of pediatricians regarding the optimal temperature for a baby, but do not forget about the importance of an individual approach. Depending on your baby's metabolism, month of birth, and overall health, he or she may need higher or higher low temperature. Don’t be afraid to deviate from general recommendations and follow common sense to provide your baby with ideal conditions.

Colds and acute respiratory infections are very frequent “guests” in childhood. Undeveloped immunity, imperfect defense systems, multiple contacts with carriers of viruses or patients in large groups of children are factors that explain the high susceptibility of children to diseases. Looking for ideal option For prevention, parents try all sorts of methods, ranging from simple fortified supplements to such extreme types of hardening as winter swimming, for example. But few people think that the first steps to solving the problem are extremely simple, cost nothing, and they begin with the correct microclimate in the room where the child is daily. The optimal temperature for the child in the room and sufficient air humidity play important role in reducing the incidence of morbidity.

Optimal room temperature for a newborn.

Young parents, under the “sensitive” guidance of no longer so young grandmothers, are zealously trying to protect their baby from colds from the first days of his life. The temperature in the house is 25 degrees, the windows and doors are tightly closed, the child is dressed as a “cabbage” and covered with several blankets. That's it! Now no virus can get here! But the effect is, alas, the opposite. And one of the main reasons is that the optimal temperature for the child in the room is chosen incorrectly.

The newborn's thermoregulation system has not yet fully matured. It can very easily either overcool or overheat. But overheating is much more dangerous for him. In infants, all metabolic processes occur much faster and more intensely compared to adults, so their body produces a lot of heat. It is necessary to get rid of it, and the child has two ways to do this.

• Heat exchange during breathing: inhales air, for example, 20 degrees, exhales, warmed to body temperature - 36.6. Part of the heat is thus lost.
• Through the skin when sweating.

The first option for a baby (and for adults as well) is the main one, since it is the most physiological and harmless. Heat exchange during breathing occurs unhindered at an air temperature of no higher than 22 degrees. Therefore, most pediatricians are inclined to think that the optimal temperature for a child in a room should be between 18–22 degrees. These numbers are achieved by adjusting the heating (if possible) and ventilating the room. In the cold season, ventilate 4-5 times a day for 15 minutes. In addition to lowering the temperature, in this way they also increase the saturation of the air with oxygen, which is very important, because the need for it in a child is two and a half times higher than in an adult. And viruses and bacteria are not friends with fresh air. Do not be afraid of the movement of cool air flow (draft). Unless the child is warm, sweaty, or has just come from a warm bath.

If overly caring mothers thought better temperature air in the children's room is above 22 degrees, then they achieved the following results:

• the main heat loss occurs through the skin;
• with sweat, fluid is lost (the child becomes dehydrated) and salts (loses essential microelements);
• tender and sensitive skin babies are not ready for such a test, which is manifested by sweat rash and diaper rash;
• dehydration is accompanied by the accumulation of gases in the intestines, bloating and colic;
• drying out of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract disrupts them protective function, preventing the penetration and spread of pathogenic microorganisms;
• mucus in the nose dries out, forming crusts that interfere with breathing, cause snoring in the child and disrupt sleep;
• insufficient amount of saliva (due to the same dehydration) is accompanied by the occurrence of thrush.

As you can see, the consequences of overheating for small children are very serious. But hypothermia should also not be allowed. A newborn cannot yet produce heat through muscle tremors, so the optimal temperature for the baby in the room should not fall below 18 degrees. Prolonged stay in low temperature conditions is fraught with inflammatory diseases of the respiratory and urinary systems.

Optimal room temperature for older children.

Despite the fact that the mechanisms of thermoregulation in children after one year are more advanced, the above recommendations on temperature conditions remain relevant for them. Unless the upper limit can be safely lowered to 20 degrees. But if a child grew up, say, up to 5 years old in greenhouse conditions (air temperature not lower than 25 degrees, not familiar with drafts), then the change in the microclimate in the room should occur gradually. Otherwise, unadapted systems will not cope with the task assigned to them, and the transition to the correct parameters will end in a cold.

Terms environment play an important role in the development of the baby, who is forced to spend most of the first months of life indoors. Therefore, the temperature in the room for a newborn should be optimal and comfortable. Constant hypothermia or overheating of a child, as well as sudden changes in temperature, can lead to the development of a number of conditions that are fraught with unpleasant consequences and chronic diseases.

Even if the temperature in the room seems optimal to you, carefully monitor your child’s well-being: if he feels comfortable, there is nothing to worry about

The conditions in the room where the child lives are determined by his condition, vital signs and reaction to the environment. The weaker the baby, the more comfortable the indicators should be. For example, the temperature in the room of a newborn born on time and without any deviations is 19°-21°C. If the baby is premature, he will develop better at an air temperature of at least 24°-25°C. If the baby is strong and cheerful, natural hardening can be introduced, starting from birth. In this case, the thermometer readings should not exceed 18°-19°C.

The main mistake parents make is trying to adjust the newborn to conditions that seem comfortable for an adult body. In fact, with age, human thermoregulation processes are disrupted due to improper lifestyle. And kids are able to adapt to environmental conditions without problems. This gives rise to an interesting paradox. In prosperous families, where the child is cared for by parents and numerous relatives, such hothouse conditions are created that the child’s skin does not have the opportunity to breathe. Therefore, such children often get sick. And in dysfunctional families, where the baby is left to his own devices and no one controls the temperature, the level of colds among newborns is an order of magnitude lower.

It is important to remember that it is necessary to prepare the conditions in the room before the baby arrives. The temperature and humidity must be adjusted in advance. In addition, the indicators should not change sharply. The thermometer should be located close to the newborn's crib, in the same plane - this will help to always get the correct numbers.

Try not to wrap your child up unnecessarily, because overheating has no less harmful effects than hypothermia.

Accelerated metabolism and an incompletely formed thermoregulation system lead to the fact that infants produce heat very intensively. This occurs with the help of the lungs and the entire surface of the skin. If there is a significant increase in air temperature in the newborn’s room, the baby has to inhale warm air, he cannot get rid of internal heat and begins to sweat. And with sweat comes mineral salts and water, which are so necessary for a growing body.

If the air temperature in the room is higher than normal, this can be easily determined by the child’s condition:

• redness appears in natural folds and joint bends, turning into diaper rash;
• The baby often opens his mouth as if he is not getting enough air. Gradually, breathing from the nasal becomes oral;
• Body temperature may rise slightly;
• as a result of intense loss of water and digestive disorders, newborns may experience abdominal pain and bloating;
• Crusts appear in the nose, which also interfere with normal breathing.

As a result of hypothermia, a cold may develop, which will significantly weaken the child’s body.

If the room is too hot, bathe your child more often: this will make it easier to tolerate high air temperatures.

Most often, the temperature in a living room does not fall below 20°-22°C. This may be due to hot weather or the heating season, when it is impossible to adjust the indicators yourself.

If it is impossible to artificially create the optimal temperature in the newborn’s room, you must:

• ensure that a sufficient amount of fluid enters the child’s body;
• minimize the amount of clothing;
• organize water treatments. The water temperature during bathing should be as close as possible to the temperature in the room, then the baby will not notice the difference and will not catch a cold.

If the humidity in the baby's room is very low, place an aquarium or just any containers with water there.

In addition to the temperature in the newborn’s room, it is also necessary to monitor the humidity. Rarely happens indoors high humidity, but excessive dry air is very common. If you do not monitor this indicator, drying out of the newborn's mucous membranes, sleep disturbances, accelerated fluid loss, and changes in the child's behavior may develop. To prevent this, you can install an aquarium or ordinary containers with water in the room. The relative humidity of the environment should not fall below 50%.

The humidity and temperature in the newborn's room should be monitored daily. Do not neglect regular ventilation and wet cleaning with a minimum amount of cleaning chemical components.

Optimal air temperature in the room for your baby.

Each loving mother strives to create for his child the most best conditions. However, we must not forget that the baby’s comfort is built not only from caring for him, but also from what surrounds him. The baby spends most of the time in his crib, which is why the main task of parents is to create comfortable conditions in the room. And the most important condition the child’s comfort is the temperature in the room. Let's look at all the pros and cons and find the most best solution for our little ones.

Danger of excessively high temperature

Mothers should definitely know that overheating is much more harmful than hypothermia. Due to the fact that metabolic processes occur much faster in babies, heat accumulates in their bodies. Thermoregulation in newborns also occurs differently; it has not yet been fully formed, which means that heat exchange processes must be regulated by parents.

The baby’s body has to get rid of excess heat; there are two natural ways: the respiratory system and the sweating system. However, for a child’s fragile body, cooling through breathing is not possible, so sweating processes are intensively activated. With increased sweating, the baby’s body begins to quickly lose the necessary salt and moisture and feel a lack of water. This can lead to the following unpleasant consequences:

1. The appearance of crusts in the baby’s nose, which makes it difficult for the child to breathe.
2. Thrush may develop due to saliva drying out in the mouth.
3. Due to lack of water, it is much more difficult for the intestines to absorb nutrients, the baby is suffering from colic in the tummy.
4. Diaper rash occurs (especially in the diaper area and folds). This is the body's reaction to sweat.

As we can see, increased sweating poses a certain danger. Medical intervention may even be required to eliminate the consequences.

Danger of too low air temperature.

Cold air not only causes a number of inconveniences to the baby, but can also cause serious illnesses. Babies cannot cope with low temperatures on their own. This is what happens if a baby’s body tries to normalize heat exchange through breathing, as adults do:

1. The child inhales air that is much colder than his own temperature.
2. Air passes through the respiratory tract, its temperature rises to body temperature.
3. At the exit, the hot air takes away the warmth the baby needs.
4. The child's body becomes hypothermic.

The greater the difference between the air temperature and the baby’s body temperature, the more actively the heat transfer apparatus will work and the higher the baby’s chance of getting sick.

Optimal temperature for baby's room

Most children's pediatricians agree that the permissible temperature in a child's room should range from 18 to 22 degrees. However, for each individual baby, the temperature must be selected individually, taking into account his needs. The time of year and the weather outside play a big role in choosing the temperature.

Winter and summer.

The temperature in the room becomes more difficult to control due to the fact that the heating season has arrived. And summer itself is the hottest time of the year. It is necessary to ensure that the air in the room does not overheat and does not rise to 24 degrees.

Spring and autumn.

During these seasons, parents must ensure that the baby does not freeze; the temperature should not fall below 18 degrees, otherwise the child may become hypothermic.

It is worth remembering that these rules apply only to healthy children. If your baby was born prematurely, he needs a different environment. Due to insufficient thermoregulation in such children, the temperature in the room should be several degrees higher.

Sleep is a particularly important time. Parents must ensure compliance thermal regime at night with the same attention as during the day. If the comfortable temperature is violated, the child’s sleep will be restless, he will sleep poorly and cry often. The temperature during sleep should not exceed 22 degrees. But again, it all depends on individual characteristics your child. Mom definitely needs to know at what degrees the baby will sleep better.

In order to monitor the temperature as accurately as possible, the thermometer should be located directly next to the baby’s bed.

Experts recommend that parents do not use canopies and bumpers, as these items can impede the flow of air. They also collect dust on their surface, which can cause an allergic reaction and respiratory tract diseases in a child.

Don't forget that only you can determine the optimal temperature for your baby. If the baby does not sweat or freeze, is not capricious, and his legs and arms are warm, then this temperature is ideal for him.

Bathing the baby

Air temperature during bathing is one of the most important factors in a baby’s health. Some parents are confident that during and after bathing the air in the room should be warmer than at other times. Such parents, of course, can be understood: they strive with all their might to help the baby. However, this is a completely wrong position. Don't forget that the maximum high temperature indoors it is 23 degrees. And this should be the case before and after the child has been bathed.

In the case when the baby is bathed in a warmer room, the child will freeze after bathing at normal temperature. It is because of this that, when preparing to wash a child, it is strictly not recommended to increase the temperature. If you do not want your child to freeze after water procedures, simply cover him with a warm towel for a while. So, we can conclude that the temperature in the room should be constant. It should not change while the child is bathing or sleeping.

Humidity in the room

Humidity, along with temperature, is the main criterion for the comfort of your baby. The problem of air humidity becomes especially acute during the heating season. In winter, air dryness often reaches almost 100%, which is why parents should pay special attention to air humidity at this time. The optimal humidity in a child's room should be at least 50%. A hygrometer will help you determine the humidity level.

Ways to eliminate low humidity:

• Place jars filled with water in children's jars;
• Buy an open aquarium;
• Hang a damp cloth over the batteries.
• Install a special device for air humidification.

Fighting excess moisture:

• Ventilate the nursery more often when the baby is away.
• Do not dry diapers in your baby's room.
• During the summer season, do not hang curtains on the windows, let the sun dry the room.
• Install a special device that combats excess moisture due to the content of absorbent substances.

Humidity directly affects the thermoregulation of the child’s body:

• When passing through the lungs, the air not only heats up, but is also saturated with moisture, so at the exit its humidity is always 100%
• When a child inhales dry air, the baby's body uses its own fluid for hydration, which can lead to a serious lack of fluid in the body.

How to maintain room temperature

Maintaining temperature at different times year requires different approaches.

In summer time

• Using an air conditioner (make sure that the air currents do not pass near the baby’s bed)
• Regular ventilation; the baby should not be in the room at this time.

In winter time

a) In case of excessive heating operation

• Cover the batteries thick fabric so that they trap hot air.
• Every time you go for a walk with your baby, ventilate the room.
• Remove unnecessary clothes from your baby; if the temperature is above 24 degrees, then leave him only in panties or a diaper.
• The child should be bathed 2-3 times a day, in water with a temperature of approximately 35 degrees.

b) If the heating is insufficient

• Use a heater to increase the temperature.
• Dress your baby warmly.

How to determine that you are doing everything correctly and the baby is feeling well:

• The baby sleeps soundly and rarely wakes up at night;
• He does not sweat excessively;
• The baby's skin is not cold, he does not get goosebumps.
• Compliance with the norm of his breathing and pulse.