Because babies, when they are brought to the new world, should be protected. They have been protected in their mother’s womb for 9 months, where everything is nice and cozy.
But now, they are in a bit different and downright chilly place. That’s why doctors and nurses are instantly covering their little heads with tiny hats, to protect them from cold and any possible harm.
In America, parents typically put newborns hats on their babies to protect them from germs and sunburns.
Why do they put hats on newborns? It’s a familiar parenting dilemma. Should you put your baby in a knit hat or not?
The answer is yes, you should! Wearing a hat while outside in cold weather helps reduce exposure to the sun (which is not good for infants) and reduces heat loss from their heads. Plus, it keeps them warm!
But what about inside? Well, for one thing, hats can actually help with regulating a baby’s body temperature by retaining heat (especially when combined with clothing layers).
That means less sweating and less crying! And hats are also pretty fashionable these days.
But if the place your baby is in is pretty warm, there’s no need for putting a hat over. We also don’t want the baby to feel overheated and cause unnecessary sweating.
Should newborns wear hats at night?
This should be avoided. Babies should not wear hats when they sleep. This type of question is very popular, right next to why do they put hats on newborns?
Well, the dilemma has been cleared up.
If a baby is wearing a hat or a beanie while sleeping, they can quickly overheat. That’s why it’s very important to keep your baby’s head without any covers while they are sleeping.
And another bad thing about wearing beanies to bed is that it may cause choking or even suffocation hazards which is the thing that we don’t even want to think about.
Hats are not something to be scared of, like for example using nail clippers, but one should be cautious when using them at the night.
For starters, new babies spend most of their time sleeping. They eat and also breastfeed for about the first six months of life.
Newborns can sleep anywhere from six hours a night to twenty-four hours straight so long as they are warm and fed during that time! Does this mean every baby should be wearing a hat at night?
Many parents will tell you that hats protect your baby’s fragile skin from being burned by street lamps or lights in nurseries or hospitals. This is because newborns tend to sleep more underneath light blankets than on top of them.
Hats offer better protection than blankets or sheets, but some parents report that their baby wakes up with an itchy head, while others worry the hat could lead to overheating. Still, others say there are no long-term effects from wearing hats.
Why do hospitals put red hats on newborns?
A red hat is given to the babies that require a special and are more often observed than the other ones. These babies are frequently monitored due to some special condition that they have.
It can refer to checking the level of blood sugar, having jaundice, respiratory problems, or anything similar. These babies usually require receiving special antibiotics and constant monitoring due to higher risk factors.
This is one of the answers to the question, why do they put hats on newborns?
On the other side, there is an amber hat, for babies that receive a regular observation, where they will be measured temperature, breathing, and heart rate.
Do newborns need hats indoors?
The answer is no. Babies shouldn’t wear hats when they are inside nor sleep with blankets or duvet.
Every healthy baby is free of wearing hats when they are home or any inside place. This is claimed by a pediatrician for the American Academy of Pediatrics. There’s no need to put a cap on your infant’s head because it’s totally safe and cozy without it.
Even though they look adorable in it, try to put them only when necessary, like going outside in cold weather.
Do hats help shape a baby’s head?
Classic hats no, but molded ones can be very effective. Especially if you use them in the period of 4 to 12 months of the baby’s life. At this stage, the baby’s skull is quite malleable while the brain is developing rapidly.
To help shape your baby’s head, try some classical things to do like putting it in a better position while it’s sleeping or altering the posture when you feed the infant.
By doing this, you will encourage your baby’s flattened parts to naturally reshape. This is also known or called counter-positioning.
A baby’s head is formed by the end of its third month. For those first few months, it is hard for parents to know whether the head is shaped normally or not.
One way parents can tell if the shape of a baby’s head has changed is by monitoring growth patterns on a pediatrician’s chart. As babies grow, their heads will grow in proportion to their body size and shape.
Summary
There goes the question that’s been bothering a lot of parents, especially when it comes to first-time parenting. Why do they put hats on newborns?
Simply because the baby has come out from a very warm and protracted place – a mother’s womb, into a bit of a chilly and different world. And beanie is the way to protect them from any germs and further harm.
This especially refers to if babies are born in cold months and if they are soon going outside, they should wear hats. Of course, if it’s cold outside or if it is severe weather, it goes without saying that you will put a cap on your baby.
When we ask the question, why do they put hats on newborns? We have an answer. But, why do they put the hat on while the baby is inside?
Well, this thing should be avoided. Infants are perfectly warmed up in the inside doors and there’s no need to put any additional clothes that may cause discomfort to your baby.
But, one thing we can’t deny, they look adorable when wearing them.
Actually, they always look adorable.
