As a new parent, one of the most important things is to monitor your newborn baby’s temperature.
But, how do you check a newborn baby’s temperature without a thermometer?
Well, you can use this handy trick to check your baby’s temperature without a thermometer.
A few different ways to check a newborn’s temperature without a thermometer. Use the baby’s mouth as a thermometer. Place the baby’s lips in the middle of the adult’s forehead and wait for three minutes. The baby’s temperature will rise if the baby’s temperature is below the ideal temperature.
You can also use a pacifier and insert it into a baby’s mouth. Wait for 30 minutes and see whether the pacifier is still wet. If it’s not wet, the temperatures are below the average temperature.
You can also check your baby’s temperature by filling their hands and feet. Touch their forehead and neck with the back of your hand. This will help you understand if the baby’s temperature is warmer than usual.
You can also look at the baby’s skin, especially the cheeks. They look much may red as compared to the normal body
Reasons why checking the newborn temperature is important
It is important to check newborns temperature due the following reasons;
To regulate their temperature
This process is called thermoregulation. Newborn babies have problems maintaining their temperature that’s why we need to ensure that their bodies are at the ideal temperature. The normal temperature of a newborn is 36 degrees to 36.5 degrees. A neutral thermal environment is essential to ensure that an infant’s metabolic and the energy consumption is at a minimum rate.
To prevent them from cold
When a baby gets cold a lot of bad things can happen including getting sick or even a low development rate. This is because the baby is using a lot of its energy to warm itself thus using more oxygen. Cold babies are likely to get hypothermia due to a low rate of oxygen in their blood, acidosis, hypoglycemia, and decreased growth. The risk of hypothermia includes clotting issues, hypertension, shock, and death.
Studies have shown that newborns getting cold after a full-term as well as preterm babies increases mortality. Being hypothermic after birth increases the rate of babies dying.
Newborn Babies lose heat much fast as compared to children or adults.
Newborn babies lose heat at about four times the rate of older kids and others. There are four ways of heat loss in a newborn. The first is radiation which is the heat loss from a warm object or infant to a cooler object. For example, a baby may be placed in a cooler isolate thus the heat will radiate to the cooler walls of the isolate. This leads to draining heat from the newborns to the walls of the isolate.
The second way a baby can lose is through conduction. Conduction is heat loss from an infant to something that is in contact with them. This may include cold blankets or cold clothes that she is wearing.
The third way in which a newborn can lose heat is through convection. This is the heat loss to the surrounding air. This occurs especially in the winter season.
The last form of heat loss in a newborn is evaporation. Evaporation is heat loss when water evaporates off the baby. This is most common after delivery when the baby is wet or after a bath.
Premature babies are at risk of losing heat because they have less fat and thus less padding on them. They also have a high surface area to body weight ratio because there is a lot of skin where heat and water can get off from as compared to adults.
Newborn babies have lower fat storage and glycogen which are energy sources used by other kids and adults to generate heat.
How to prevent heat loss in newborn
Make sure that the entire room and anything surrounding them has increased temperatures.
Warm everything that the baby is directly in contact with. This may include the clothes and the blankets. You can also use warming pads. They look like plastic bags filled with chemicals and when you break the seal and squash them start generating heat.
This can be used underneath the baby to reduce any conduction heat loss.
We can also stop the air currents from moving above the baby. Always make sure the baby is covered well especially if you are in an open place.
Dry them as faster as possible when you bathe them to prevent evaporation and fluid loss.
Symptoms of fever
A temperature above 37 degrees
Pale skin
Cold with loose pimples
Shivering with chattering teeth leading to sneezing
Hot flushed skin
Headache
General aches and pains
How to reduce a fever naturally
Take a lot of fluids and liquids. In the case of newborns breastfeed them more.
Give a baby a ginger bath by adding 2 teaspoons of ginger powder to warm water. The water should be lukewarm to avoid affecting the baby. Avoid this water contact with the baby’s eyes.
You can also rub them with 2 or 3 slices of onions on their feet.
If this persists you can visit the doctor.
Why is my baby’s head hot.
Warm clothes
During the day when the weather is favorable, you need to reduce the number of clothes this is because warm clothes trap heat which makes the newborn baby’s temperature rise even if they don’t have a fever.
Excitement
Many babies are always excited as they move around and play. This increases the rate of body circulation to the head thereby increasing the temperatures of the whole body.
Teething
This also makes a baby’s head became warmer. This is just a regular relief for the body. You can control it by giving them painkillers.
Conclusion
Parents should never ignore their newborn baby’s temperature, especially when they doubt something is not good. Fever is sometimes alarming and can lead to panic. You can reduce it naturally through the methods we have discussed above.
If you notice any sign that you are not conservant with is good to seek medical attention.
That’s all for today. I hope this article will help you somewhere. If you have any questions or suggestions, don’t forget to comment in the comment section below.
