Babies & Cold

Periodically check for any places where air might get to your baby, such as the face or hand or shoe openings of coats and pants. Make sure skin stays covered on cold days. Also keep track of runny noses, which can add to cold-weather discomfort.

Avoid the glare : Remember to protect your baby's eyes. Glare can be especially bad on snow, so consider a pair of sunglasses or UV-protective goggles for
your tot.

Front packs : Front packs provide more of your own body heat and natural protection to your child than do backpacks. When using a front pack, it's easier to keep a baby's face protected from the wind, since he's facing you. When my son was young, I often covered his front pack with a blanket or two to keep the wind away, while allowing air holes for plenty of fresh air.

Another advantage to using front packs is that you can actually see your child. If you do use a backpack it will be helpful to have another person present to check that your child is happy and warm.

Testing : It can often be tough. You can't ask a baby, after all, and you can't always depend on signals. Crying is helpful, of course, but cold babies don't always cry. Your child may even be sleeping through the cold.

Periodically test your baby's warmth by touching his nose, cheeks, or fingers. Of course, to thoroughly check your child you sometimes need to expose him to the elements. How can you safely check on your child's foot or fingers for warmth if they're already well bundled up? You have to be very quick with your testing and minimize exposure, particularly if it's really cold or windy.

Always stay in familiar territory : The last thing you want to do is get lost with your infant on a cold day. And if your baby is fussy, turn back. This isn't the time to tough things out.

Keep outings short : The more you venture out and test layers in various temperatures, the better sense you'll have of your baby's cold-weather needs.

At the end of each adventure, as you unbundle your child in indoors warmth, immediately test his hands and feet, particularly to see if he's been dry and warm. This is the test of whether your outing has been successful and will give you clues to what may be needed on your next winter trip.