AS THE WEATHER warms up, we must be more careful about the baby overheating.
Babies need help to keep at a comfortable temperature. As adults, our bodies keep a steady temperature. When we are cold, we shiver and move to warm up. When we are hot, we sweat to cool down.
Small babies are unable to do this yet – they can’t move much, or shiver and they can only sweat through their heads, hands, and feet. That’s why it is so important for us to be aware that the baby does not get too cold or too hot.
Our skin is an amazing organ that Allah has created and which we often take for granted without a second thought.
It is an incredibly complex organ made up of three layers and their sub-layers, each adding to the many functions of the skin.
Its outer layer forms a self-healing barrier between us and the environment, protecting us from dehydration and germs, chemicals, and UV rays through specialized hardened and constantly shedding cells.
Its inner layer is fat-filled and acts as insulation but also attaches the skin to what lies underneath and gives shock absorption and defines shape.
Its mid layer is full of blood vessels that regulate temperature by increasing or decreasing blood flow and where the nerves are that allow us to sense the environment around us.
It is these nerve cells in the skin that form the body’s first contact with the world around us. From birth, a baby’s first experiences of the physical world are perceived through the sense of touch. Nerve cells allow the skin to gather and convey signals from touch, pain, tickling, etc. As the skin is the border between us and the world around us, it is also the physical interface between us and other creatures and the world.
It is this sensory function of the skin that Allah alludes to and warns us about:
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا مَا جَآءُوهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ وَجُلُودُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
وَقَالُوا۟ لِجُلُودِهِمْ لِمَ شَهِدتُّمْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنطَقَنَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنطَقَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُوَ خَلَقَكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍۢ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
When they reach it, their ears, eyes, and skin will testify against what they used to do. They will ask their skin (furiously): “Why have you testified against us?” It will say, “We have been made to speak by Allah, Who causes all things to speak. He (is the One Who) created you the first time, and to Him you were bound to return. (Fussilat 20-21)
Just contemplating this should make us be in awe of our Creator. It is irrational to think that such complexity of form and function can just come about by chance. We should be grateful to Him for what He has given for we only have to think of the suffering people experience when the skin malfunctions. And we need to be wary of what we expose our skins to when it will testify against us on the Final Day.
Going back to our baby (and for those who have babies of their own), some practical advice about temperature regulation.
-A good guide to dressing a baby is to use the same number of layers that you are wearing, plus one extra.
-In cold weather, when you come in to somewhere warm, take off hats and outdoor clothing right away. It Is better to risk waking the child than to risk overheating.
-Babies don’t need hot rooms and don’t usually need the heating on at night. If the room is comfortable for you then it’s fine.
-Babies shouldn’t wear a hat at night (as that can make them too hot).
-In hot weather, babies tend to breastfeed more often because of thirst. Another sign of Allah’s perfect creation is that a mother’s breastmilk also changes to become waterier which is just what is needed.
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