23/05/2026
Here comes the sun 🤞 A Cuidiú guide for parents & caregivers during warm weather and heatwaves ☀️
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✅ DO:
💧 Offer frequent feeds. Breastfeed or bottle feed more often. Offer toddlers water regularly.
👶🏽 Dress babies lightly. Choose loose, lightweight cotton clothing and a sunhat.
🌳 Stay in the shade. Keep babies and toddlers out of direct sun, especially between 11am - 3pm.
🧴 Use sun protection. For babies over 6 months: apply child-friendly SPF 50 sunscreen to exposed skin.
🛏️ Keep sleep spaces cool. Use light bedding and keep rooms ventilated if possible.
🚿 Cool them down gently. Use lukewarm baths, cool cloths, or damp flannels on neck/arms/legs.
🚗 Check car seats & buggies. Buckles and seats can become dangerously hot in the sun.
👀 Watch for signs of overheating. Flushed skin, rapid breathing, unusual sleepiness, irritability, fewer wet nappies, or dizziness.
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❌ DON’T:
🚫 Don’t cover a buggy/pram with a blanket. This traps heat and reduces airflow, making the inside much hotter.
🚫 Don’t leave children in parked cars even for a minute - temperatures rise dangerously fast.
🚫 Don’t overdress babies. Babies cannot regulate temperature as well as adults.
🚫 Don’t use icy water or ice baths. Sudden cooling can be distressing and unsafe.
🚫 Don’t rely only on fans in extreme heat. Fans alone may not prevent overheating in very high temperatures.
🚫 Don’t forget nighttime heat. Rooms can stay warm overnight - check baby’s chest or back, not hands/feet, to gauge temperature.
🚫 Don’t forget to hydrate yourself too! 💦
