Is covering your baby’s pram during hot weather a good or bad thing to do?

Could you be putting your baby at risk?

We’ve been blessed with the weather in Ireland this summer. We’re at the end of July, the sun is still shining and the temperature is still in the mid twenties. This time last year our ‘summer’ was already over. As the hot weather persists it’s only natural if you’re getting more worried about bringing your little one out in the pram. It’s debatable whether or not covering your baby’s pram in this heat is a good or bad thing. You may be worried your tot will overheat in the buggy if you do cover it, or you may feel that covering your baby’s pram is the best thing to do. Dr Rahul Chodhari, from the Royal College of Paediatrics has said that it is perfectly ok to cover prams in this heat because most of them have sufficient ventilation. However, he did mention that during a certain chunk of the day there is a higher risk of overheating. Dr Chodhari told The Sun:

“The highest risk of overheating is between 11am and 3pm, which is when the sun is at its strongest.” “That is the time I would say parents need to be careful and avoid going out between 11am and 3pm.”

Dr Chodhari urged parents not to use a woollen material and asked them to think about the colour of material they are using. He said:

“Light synthetic meshes are slightly better than darker colours.” “Lighter shades don’t absorb most of the heat, and reflect it back in some ways.”

Generally, a thin or mesh material is the best thing to use to cover buggies.