Emily Oster

2 min Read Emily Oster

Emily Oster

How Should I Dress My Baby for the Cold?

Q&A on layers

Emily Oster

2 min Read

Where does the recommendation to dress babies in “one more layer than adults” come from? My husband and I have vastly different temperature preferences, so while he’s wearing shorts and a T-shirt, I might be in long pants, undershirt, long-sleeve shirt, and hoodie, so it’s often not super-clear what “one more layer” is. I think we do okay at “common sense” dressing, but he does tend to skip jackets more than I would when taking out our baby.

—Cold Mama

This is my family! We’ll go hiking and I’m shivering in a winter coat, and everyone else is shedding their sweatshirts and asking me to carry them. It’s so weird! What is wrong with them?

Getty

There are two parts to your question.

First: Why would babies, on average, need another layer? The answer is surface area to volume. A baby has a much higher ratio of surface area to volume than adults (perhaps five or so times as high). Since we lose heat through our skin, they lose more heat than adults. It’s the same reason babies get dehydrated faster in warm conditions — more skin. So even if there were an adult and a baby with the same genetic taste for cold, you’d want the baby to wear more clothes.

Second: There is variation across people in their tolerance for cold. Some of this is about body size and subcutaneous fat. Some of it is genetic — there is at least one known genetic mutation that makes people more resilient to cold. Your baby should wear one more layer than the appropriate adult layers. But how do you know?

The simplest answer is just to think about the average. You’re a cold person (I mean body temperature, not personality). Your husband sounds like he runs hot. Look around at what most people wear — assume your baby is a happy medium like the average person.

You can also test by feeling your infant’s belly or back. They should feel warm — not cold, but not clammy and hot either.

Community Guidelines
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
A row of three white onesies on a laundry line on a sunny day.

Dec. 2, 2022

2 min Read

What Accessories Does My Newborn Really Need?

Two words: newborn accessories. Coco Chanel famously said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one Read more

A pregnant person and partner sit on a couch surrounded by brown boxes of baby items.

Sep. 11, 2024

3 min Read

The Best Baby Items — And the Worst

When I was pregnant with Penelope, Jesse and I got a list of stuff we needed that had been passed Read more

A baby rests face down on a fuzzy blanket during tummy time.

Mar. 10, 2023

2 min Read

Does My Baby Really Need Two Hours of Tummy Time Per Day?

What does the data say about the optimal amount of tummy time? My pediatrician is adamant that from two months Read more

A plastic wind-up lady bug baby toy is seen on a red background

Nov. 9, 2023

7 min Read

Baby Gear and the Environment

As I was getting ready for the arrival of my first child, everyone offered opinions on what exactly I needed Read more