The effects of clothing layers on the thermoregulatory responses to short duration babywearing in babies under 12 months old

Abstract

Carrying babies in a sling, that is, babywearing, is a popular practice among new parents. Babies are thermally vulnerable and public health bodies advise to dress them in one extra layer than the adult. However, these guidelines do not consider babywearing and it is unclear whether babies’ clothing insulation should be modified during babywearing. Here we quantified the effects of babies’ clothing layers on the thermoregulatory responses to short duration babywearing in babies under 12 months old. Nine babies (4F/5M; 7.3 ± 3.1 months; 9 ± 2.5 kg) and 9 mothers (34 ± 3.0 years) performed two trials in a thermoneutral environment (23°C; 50%RH). During trials, babies wore either 1 (sleepsuit) or 2 (vest + sleepsuit) clothing layers, and mothers performed 15‐min stepping exercise while babywearing. We recorded mothers and babies’ tympanic temperature (Tty), babies’ local skin temperatures (Tsk; on the carotid artery area, arm, abdomen, lower back, and thigh), and mothers’ perception of babies’ thermal state. Babies’ Tty did not change after 15‐min babywearing (mean change: −0.13°C [−0.30, +0.05]; p = .141), in either clothing trial (difference between trials: +0.05°C [−0.15, +0.25]; p = .591). On the contrary, local Tskin increased across all sites tested (mean increase = +0.71°C [+0.41, +1.01]; p = .038) and similarly between clothing trials, with the abdomen showing the largest change (+1.10°C [+0.32, +1.85]). Mothers did not perceive any change in babies’ thermal state. We show that 15‐min babywearing increase babies’ skin, but not tympanic, temperature by up to 1.1°C on certain body regions, and that this effect is not exacerbated by adding 1 layer of light clothing to the baby.

Determining the temperature ratings of infant bedding

“…, 2018). American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommended dressing infants in “on extra layer” than adults to ensure suitable thermal protection (Filingeri et al. , 2020).…”

“…This difference can be explained by the different metabolic heat production and the body surface area for heat loss between infants and adults (Fukazawa et al, 2009;Schlabach et al, 2018). American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommended dressing infants in "on extra layer" than adults to ensure suitable thermal protection (Filingeri et al, 2020). Our findings further demonstrated that the amount of bedding for infants should be set based on month-age, and the guidance from AAP and WHO was more applicable for the younger infants.…”

“…In addition, some studies found no significant relationship between the infant skin temperature and the assessed thermal state of the infants by the caregivers (Filingeri et al, 2020;Folkerts et al, 2020). Many caregivers seemed to have less knowledge on thermoregulation of infants.…”

“…Infants are incapable of adjusting their clothing or quilts independently; instead, their caregivers help with this adjustment process according to their perception of infants' thermal state. Filingeri et al (2020) pointed out that mothers' impressions of infants' thermal sensation and comfort were inconsistent with the change in infants' skin temperature, which indicated that the risk of infants' thermal stress would be increased due to improper use of bedding from caregivers. Determining the appropriate bedding for infants is, therefore, essential to ensure infants' thermal comfort and physical health.…”

The Influence of Fashion Knowledge, Fashion Selection Factor, and Dress Etiquette on Dress Look

“…In addition, dressing can also protect the body from the hot sun, insect bites, and others. So, dressing can affect a person's personal soul, both physically and spiritually (Filingeri et al, 2020;Uddin et al, 2022). From the way of dress, a person can be judged by his personality, environment and tastes.…”