A grandmother brought her feverish grandson to the doctor. Upon checking, the doctor found that the baby was wearing five to six layers of clothes and was unable to dissipate the heat. No wonder the baby's temperature never dropped.

Newborn babies under one year old have not fully developed their thermoregulation functions. They are less capable to adapt to ambient temperature and regulate their own body temperature when it is too cold or too hot. As newborns have slower blood circulation, their hands and feet may feel cold to the touch, but this does not mean that they are underdressed.

Many parents or grandparents dress their babies according to their feelings. They will keep putting layers of clothes on the babies whenever they feel cold. Babies produce a lot of heat from drinking milk and are slow to dissipate it. It can easily lead to overheating and even heatstroke in summer if overcladed. 

To check if the baby is wearing enough clothes, parents can feel the baby’s back of the neck or collarbone. If you feel warm in these two areas, it means the baby is properly dressed.

Moreover, as the baby skin is sensitive, it is best to choose cotton clothes that are breathable and less irritating to the skin. For active babies that sweat on their backs or soles, parents should quickly towel dry the babies and change them into dry clothes to avoid catching a cold.