Why is my baby's head hot and his hands and feet cold?

It is common in clinical practice that children have a hot head and cold hands and feet. In fact, this is a symptom of false cold and true heat. Although the child's hands and feet are cold, his internal organs are still in a relatively hot state. This situation shows that the child's fever has not been well relieved, so antipyretic treatment should be carried out in time. Physical cooling can be used, and in severe cases, medication can be used under the guidance of a doctor.

Let's briefly analyze the reasons

Reason 1 : The heat dissipation from the newborn's head can reach 50% of the body's heat dissipation. Because the head dissipates more heat, the local temperature will feel slightly higher than other parts of the baby's body. It is quite different from the temperature of the baby's hands and feet, and there is also a certain gap with the temperature of an adult's hands.

Reason 2 : The younger the baby is, the more likely he is to have a hot head and cold hands and feet. In addition to the factor that the head dissipates more heat, the head and face are rich in blood vessels and close to the heart, which causes the local temperature to be higher than the average body surface temperature.

In addition, infants and young children have weaker heart beats and less blood flows to their hands and feet, causing the temperature of their hands and feet to be lower than the average body surface temperature. Therefore, it is normal for a baby to have a hot head and cool hands and feet. Parents should be able to accept that the baby's hands and feet are cool. As long as the baby's neck is warm, it means the room temperature and clothing are appropriate. On the contrary, if you feel your baby's hands and feet are warm, it means that the child is covered too much.

So how do you dress your baby ?

Method 1 : Wear a hat for the newborn

When dressing and covering infants and young children with blankets, the first thing to pay attention to is keeping the head warm, which is why newborns are given hats. Secondly, you need to be able to accept that the baby's hands and feet may be cool. As long as the baby's neck is warm, it means the room temperature and clothing are appropriate. Many parents ask whether their children should wear socks. From the perspective of maintaining the baby's normal body temperature, wearing a hat is more important than wearing socks.

The heat dissipation from the baby's head accounts for a high percentage of the body's heat dissipation. Whether the heat dissipation from the skin should be reduced or increased depends on factors such as the baby's condition and temperature at the time. In winter or in low temperature environments, putting a hat on your baby can effectively keep him warm; in hot summer or in high temperature environments, removing the hat will help dissipate heat and maintain normal body temperature. Understand that the head dissipates more heat, and wear or take off a hat appropriately to maintain the baby's normal body temperature.

Method 2 : Add or remove clothes for your child appropriately

How to add clothes to children should be based on adults' feelings. It should be noted that children exercise more than adults and have a faster metabolism than adults, so the number of clothes they wear should be less than that for adults, not more. Children who cannot walk and are always moving should also wear fewer clothes. You can cover yourself with a quilt when you sleep quietly. Don't ever think that children who can't walk need to wear more clothes than adults, just enough to keep their hands warm. If your child sweats, wipe him/her dry and change his/her clothes immediately.

During the seasonal transition period, there is a large temperature difference between morning and evening. The temperature is lower when children go to school in the morning, so they need to wear relatively thick clothes. When children are able to play outdoors, the temperature is relatively high. If children do not take off their clothes appropriately, they may sweat profusely after the activities. If there is a slight cool breeze after sweating, they may catch a cold. How to add or remove clothes properly is also a compulsory course that parents need to teach their children.