Symptoms of Hypothermia in Infants
Are you familiar with the signs of hypothermia in infants?
Infants lose body heat more easily than adults, and they can't make enough body heat by shivering. Infants less than one year of age can even become hypothermic just by sleeping in a cold room.
Signs of Infant Hypothermia
- Bright red skin
- Cold skin
- Low levels of energy
- Temperature less than 95 degrees Fahrenheit
Infants require warm clothing and a warm indoor temperature. Instruct parents and caregivers that if the temperature cannot be maintained (such as in an emergency or power outage), keep an infant warm by using body heat.
It is extremely important that if a parent or caregiver must sleep, precautions should be in place to prevent rolling onto the baby.
For more information about preventing hypothermia in infants, visit the winter weather section on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
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