In summer, our body has to make an extra effort to remove heat. It does that in four ways:

The evaporation of water from the skin cells is called transpiration. Transpiration is different from sweating. Transpiration is a passive process. It happens in response to ambient temperature and humidity. Sweat is actively secreted on the skin’s surface in response to heat. Urine removes some heat from our bodies. And some heat is released through breath.

Diffusion of heat

In summer, if we feel hot, our body throws out heat through its body surface to make us feel relaxed, mainly from the head surface, external ears, palm & soles. Blood circulation in the open area of the body increases to make losing heat faster. That’s why we look pink if the heat is excessive.

Sweat

We sweat in hot weather, and the evaporation of sweat gives a cool feeling. If the weather is excessively damp, the evaporation of sweat decreases. So even if it is not very hot, we feel uncomfortable. That is, if humidity is more than 65%.

Skin water

The water of the skin evaporates in open air. This is called transpiration. With the evaporation of the skin water, we feel cool. Plants also cool themselves by this method. Like the evaporation of sweat, transpiration is also affected by the dampness of the air.

In damp air, transpiration is slow; in air with low dampness, transpiration is fast. The fast evaporation of skin water causes us to feel cold. A layer of oil prevents the transpiration. So, with oily substances on the skin, this cooling effect is negated. So, with slow transpiration due to excess air dampness or oil application on the skin, we feel warm.

Humidity

So, the dampness and dryness of the air, along with the temperature, also matter. We need an optimum percentage of water in the air; we call it moisture, dampness, or humidity. This dampness is measured as relative humidity. The optimum humidity for us to feel comfortable is 40% to 60%. All the electronic room thermometer available in market have a hygrometer inbuilt in it. Hygrometer checks humidity in the air.

Air Flow

When we put on our fan in the summer, we feel relaxed as air directly carries away heat from our free body surfaces. Flowing air promotes transpiration and the evaporation of sweat, further reducing body heat. The same happens if we go out in the breeze. We feel good if the breeze is cool and gentle but uncomfortable if the airflow is high. Excess flow removes excess heat from our bodies, which is bad for our health. Babies suffer more with high airflow. So, we should be cautious with heating or cooling equipment that have an air flow mechanism.

If the flowing air is cool and very gentle, the extra heat in our bodies is removed gently with combination of diffusion, convection and evaporation of sweat and skin water.

Global Warming

The temperature of our earth is continuously increasing. It’s a mater of concern. This article discusses the issue of how babies will adapt to the increasing temperature of the planet –

Paediatric Thermoregulation: Considerations in the Face of Global Climate Change

https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Pediatric-Thermoregulation%3A-Considerations-

Water

In hot weather, we all feel thirsty. We need more water, as transpiration and sweating cause water loss. So, we and likewise our babies, need some extra water. For babies, increased breastfeeding frequency is the best way to fulfil that extra need for water.

Summer clothes

In summer, light-coloured and light-weight cotton clothes are the best. Cotton is a lousy conductor of heat. It lets the heat of the body pass out slowly. But it allows air to pass in readily and absorb the sweat. Sweat comes on the surface and evaporates. These qualities of a cotton fabric make it most favourable for summer.

Since cotton absorbs moisture and lets air pass in. Skin infections are minimal if our babies who wear soft cotton underdress. Egyptian cotton is the smoothest and most comforting for our babies.

Summer clothes should be lightweight and light-coloured. Dark colours absorb heat, while light-coloured or white clothes reflect heat away. So, heat affects us less when wearing white or light-coloured garments. They are soothing to our eyes, also.

During summer, avoid using synthetic garments, especially underdresses. And the denim-like, thick and heavy cotton fabric.

All-weather clothes

Use cotton clothes in both the hot and cold seasons. In reality, these are all-weather clothes, not synthetic or acrylic. Cotton clothes prevent the quick change of body temperature due to their breathing and low heat conduction qualities. Sweat is absorbed in summer. During winter, they conserve body heat inside.

Synthetic cloth

Synthetic garments are not so friendly. They don’t allow air to pass to evaporate the sweat. These conduct heat fast through them. They don’t conserve body heat inside. So, we feel hot in summer and cold in winter. Avoid synthetic clothes; they may look more attractive, though lower priced.

A few specially designed synthetic fabrics keep babies warm in winter well. My experience with those is limited, and these are not available in India. Since it doesn’t allow air to pass in, I don’t recommend them for our babies. Some air circulation around the skin is required to maintain the integrity and good health of the skin.

If it is unreasonably hot?

If it is too hot, a baby will develop fever. The baby may sweat heavily, look pink, and breathe fast. The baby will cry initially and then become lazy and dull.

Unwrap the baby, cool the room, and sponge with warm water, never with cold water. Water evaporates, removing heat. Attempts to reduce temperature should be slow.

How to Prevent Summer Diseases?

Summer has begun, and along with it, the summer diseases are also starting to show their faces. Summer illnesses can be caused by both viruses and bacteria. Viruses and bacteria go into a dormant state due to low temperatures during the cold season, and they begin to thrive as soon as summer starts. They proliferate more in food and drinks and also release toxins into them. When we and our families consume this contaminated food, in which bacteria and viruses have multiplied, we fall ill. The main summer diseases are vomiting, diarrhoea, Jaundice, Typhoid, viral fever, etc.

As soon as the rainy season starts, mosquitoes and flies multiply, which increases the incidence of Malaria and Dengue.

Let’s understand briefly how to prevent summer diseases. Most summer illnesses are caused by food and drink. Therefore, they can be avoided by taking precautions with what we eat and drink. Drink boiled water. RO, Aqua guard filters are useless; they serve no purpose. Boil water according to your family size at night, let it cool down, filter it in the morning using a thin cloth, and then keep it in the fridge, or keep one bottle in the fridge and one outside, and later mix and drink it. This will provide both coolness and virus and bacteria-free water.

Do not eat outside food, nor feed it to your children, because we have no control over the hygiene of the person preparing the food outside. Our law and order system also fails to control it. Bacteria will proliferate in food cooked with dirty hands. They will serve you food that has been kept for many hours, which has become contaminated with viruses and bacteria. The same condition applies to food served at feasts and weddings. Therefore, avoid food at weddings and feasts too. Eat freshly prepared homemade food. The meal should be consumed within one hour of being cooked.

The advice is not to keep leftover food in the fridge. Eating food kept in the fridge on the second day makes us sick because the electricity plays hide-and-seek (power cuts), and in summer, we have to open the fridge repeatedly for water, so this food also gets contaminated with viruses and bacteria.

In summary, wash your hands frequently, maintain health hygiene, eat fresh food, and drink boiled water. You will remain safe from these summer diseases.

You may eat some outside food from October 15th to February 15th. After that, do not eat anything outside, and eat fresh food.

Your child can also be saved from some diseases by vaccinations. For example, a new Typhoid vaccine has arrived; getting one shot and a second shot after 6 months can prevent typhoid. Be sure to get this vaccine. The Hepatitis A vaccine will protect against JAUNDICE.

Heatstroke (Loo Lagna) – When we or our children go out in the scorching sun, our body heats up, causing our lungs and skin to release vapor rapidly. This leads to dehydration in our body, our thermostat gets disrupted, and we get a fever, which we call heatstroke. It is advisable to avoid going out in intense heat.

Summer Clothes – In summer, dress your children in light-colored, pure cotton clothes. Wearing thick synthetic clothes and jeans, etc., prevents sweat from evaporating from the body, hindering the body’s cooling process – this also causes a feeling of discomfort.