Baby in Paradise

March 5, 2008 12:23 PM

What do I need to know about raising a baby in the tropics?

I grew up in one extreme climate (Winnipeg) and am now living in another: tropical Brazil. After a couple of years, I can handle the heat pretty well. But now I've replicated and there's a new WASP in town. Being raised in such a different place means I have no clue what to do with a baby in the heat. Also, the population of our city is primarily of African descent and I'm discovering that sometimes the advice I'm given doesn't apply to my kid and that he sometimes has problems that most babies here don't have (like heat rash). So what do I need to know about raising a baby where it's always warm?

posted by wallaby to health (9 comments total)

How are you currently dealing with the heat?

I can't picture why your baby would be more prone to heat-rash then another child, can you remove more clothing, or pick lighter fabrics to help his sweat do its job? Is his bedding too thick and therefore retains too much heat? Does he need a blanket when a sheet would do? Maybe increase how often you give him baths, to help unblock the pores in his skin that will get blocked more in hot weather from his sweating.

Obviously keep him out of direct sunlight and in the shade, with good ventilation (a fan, or good breeze) or air-conditioning to help carry the body-heat away.

These are all common-sense ideas that I'm sure you're already doing, but I can't really think of anything non-obvious-- If it makes you cooler, it'll work just as well for baby.

Ant.
posted by Static Vagabond at 12:54 PM on March 5

do what you do for yourself: give baby lots of sunscreen, floppy hats, sunglasses, and shade. also be sure to stay hydrated, and change damp clothes frequently. obviously natural, breathable fabrics (or those groovy moisture-wicking polyesters) are the way to go. maybe make sure the clothes are loose, so sweat doesn't build up and irritate under tight waistbands.

i am not a mom, but i was a baby in south carolina, which is probably not much less hot or humid than brazil.
posted by thinkingwoman at 1:08 PM on March 5

I was born and raised in the Philippines until I was 5 years old. Granted, I was a baby/toddler, but the things I remember:

- my nanny would always carry a small umbrella/parasol and a weaved palm leaf (or something) hand fan for me
- I never slept in an a/c room. My room was off of the a/c living room and the residual coolness would enter, but I'm glad I didn't become dependent on a/c. It's good to get used to the heat.
- I went to the swimming pool A LOT.
posted by spec80 at 1:09 PM on March 5

I've traveled with an infant-to-toddler in the tropics, and mostly I had to pay attention to hydrating myself and the baby more intentionally, especially when I was breastfeeding which is already pretty dehydrating. For heat rash and moisture issues, I'd let the baby go nude as often as you can (though you need to figure out shade strategies). Make sure all the little wallaby fat folds are dry before putting clothing on. Cornstarch can help. For a toddler it's mostly about sunscreen (look into spf 50 clothing to minimize slather struggles) and water, since they can sometimes be too busy to drink.

On preview, yes, we also carried some fun hand fans a la spec80.
posted by cocoagirl at 1:37 PM on March 5

give baby lots of sunscreen

After it is six months old. Until then, use sparingly. Zinc Oxide-based is good because it works by sitting on the outside of the skin and physically blocking the sunlight, vs. chemicals that are absorbed into the skin.
posted by mikepop at 1:40 PM on March 5

I don't know from humidity, but it does get hot here. High fashion for babies (and everyone else) seems to include a hat and a good supply of water. A camelback or similar will be a big help with this. In my area, damp cloths or spray bottles of water can be used for cooling, but don't tend to be used unless it's over 100 and you are outside all day. I'm not sure if those work where it's actually humid out.

If you or baby hang out in front of the ac all day, you will be absolutely miserable when you go out in the heat. Give yourselves a chance to get used to the heat.
posted by yohko at 4:07 PM on March 5

Mark Frauenfelder's serialized chronicles of bringing his family to Rarotonga was an interesting read.
posted by panamax at 5:24 PM on March 5

I was born in the tropics...granted i'm of a different race, but I also hung around a lot of expatriate families. Anyways for babies, calamine lotion for heatrash works wonders. Also cornstarch powder. Also zinc and castor cream. Loose cotton clothes is a must, and when indoors let the baby be naked as much as possible. Oh, cloth diapers (terrycloth or highly absorbent cotton ones) seem to work better than the disposable kind.
posted by ramix at 6:05 PM on March 5

Here's a great rundown of the quality of protection provided by sunscreen products and the safety of their ingredients for the human body; here are those that the EWG labels safe and effective. I have used Keys Soap's Solar Rx. It's pricey, smells kind of funky, and is pretty greasy, but I think it's a small price to pay for having some assurance that the sunscreen you're wearing isn't doing more damage to your body than the sun itself.
posted by holympus at 7:22 PM on March 5