Parents Warned About The 'Dangerous' Yet Common Pram Mistake Mums And Dad Are Making In The Heat

During unexpected heatwaves, parents may be making a common mistake when it comes to sheltering their children in prams, according to a Swedish paediatrician.

Svante Norgren, who works at a children’s hospital in Stockholm, said covering a pram with anything, including a thin muslin cloth, creates a furnace-like heat.

“It gets extremely hot down in the pram, something like a thermos,” he told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, according to Kidspot.

“There is also bad circulation of the air and it is hard to see the baby with a cover over the pram.”

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After hearing the warning, the Swedish newspaper conducted an experiment. They left a pram out in the sun from 11.30am to 1pm.

Without a cover, the pram temperate reached 22ºC. With a thin cover over it for 30 minutes, the pram temperature rose to 34ºC, according to Kidspot.

“The results of this study do not surprise me, and illustrate the dangers of excessively covering during hot weather,” Dr Hamed Khan, an emergency department doctor at St George’s hospital told The Huffington Post UK.

“This is compounded by the fact that younger children and infants are unable to communicate that they are feeling hot, which may leave parents oblivious to the potentially dangerous sustained rises in temperature.

“Children in such situations are at risk of dehydration, especially if they are subjected to such high temperatures for a long period of time.

“I agree that you should not excessively cover a pram, but of course it also depends on the individual situation, the weather, and the extent of the cover.

“I always advise my patients who are parents to keep a very close eye on their children during hot weather, and make sure that they are drinking ample water and other fluids.

“Keeping a close eye on young children, checking up on them regularly, and making sure that they are well hydrated is extremely important.”

Rosie Dodds, senior policy adviser at the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), agreed.

“It’s best to keep a baby in the shade if you can,” she told HuffPost UK.

“If you are out in the sun, even light sheets can make the inside of a buggy hot so a sunshade is sometimes a better option.

“It’s important to check your baby regularly in hot weather and try to keep them as cool as possible.”

Before You Go

Up-And-Coming Summer Holiday Destinations

Georgia(01 of08)

Georgia is an atmospheric country – a Eurasian crossroads with a deep, strange history. Travel writer Rick Steves says of Tbilisi old town: ‘Decay becomes beautiful in this charming Tbilisi neighbourhood. Abandoned churches and crumbling foundations blend handsomely with ornately carved balconies, grapevines and a buzz of life’.

A country of rugged mountain landscapes with plunging valleys, vineyards and hilltop watchtowers, Georgia is far removed from the Chiantishire crowds. You’ll receive the warmest hospitality from the resilient and proud Georgians, whether you’re sampling excellent local vintages in funky wine bars or buying walnuts from a babushka at the metro station. (credit:photography by Philipp Chistyakov via Getty Images)

Albania(02 of08)

Once upon a time, mysterious, closed Albania ruled by King Zog was the stuff of legends. Gradually, only brave backpackers ventured within her borders to discover… an absolute delight.

Lisa Eldridge of GirlabouttheGlobe says: ‘Albania. What do I love about it? It has mountains, it has beaches, UNESCO sites, and it has a very colourful capital city with great bars and restaurants.’

You no longer have to be intrepid to visit Albania, but travelling around still feels like an adventure. (credit:Gosiek-B via Getty Images)

Vietnam(03 of08)

Previously a war-torn, no-go country even as late as the 1990s, Vietnam is resurging as a must-visit destination. It’s inexpensive once you’re there – £35 a day covers decent accommodation, food, travel and sightseeing. If you love cities, head to Hanoi. Its yellow French colonial architecture backdrops the frenetic sensory-assault from yelling hawkers, beeping mopeds and scents of lemongrass and garlic from the street food vendors. Little pools of calm include the old quarter and Hoan Kiem lake where both the young and elderly play chess and practise t’ai chi. (credit:Yellow Dog Productions via Getty Images)

Serbia(04 of08)

Serbia’s party scene is not to be underestimated. As one of the world’s top clubbing destinations, Belgrade rivals even Berlin, and hosts the EXIT Festival in Novi Sad. If you’re not into underground techno, you’ll find more diurnal delights outside Belgrade. The art nouveau architecture of Subotica echoes Gaudi’s Barcelona. Multicultural, medieval Novi Pazar with its Ottoman minarets and Serbian Orthodox domes hints at Serbia’s complex history, and the mountainous region of Zlatibor is Alpine in all but name and price tag. (credit:Katarina Stefanovic via Getty Images)

Estonia(05 of08)

Prices for accommodation, food and transport are low in this seldom-travelled gem. The capital, Tallinn, has one of Europe’s loveliest medieval walled cities at its heart, all winding streets, cobblestones, gabled houses, as well as the domed St Mary’s Cathedral. Rummage in the Russian flea market opposite the train station for vintage crockery, enjoy some avant-garde performances at the Von Krahl Theatre and see the Museum of Contemporary Art, as much for its stunning glass and limestone building as for the exhibits. (credit:Henryk Sadura via Getty Images)

Bolivia(06 of08)

Often overlooked in favour of the more high-profile South American destinations (Peru and Brazil), Bolivia is cheaper (get by on £30 per day) but no less exciting. La Paz, the bustling capital city ringed with snow-capped mountains, is an eye opener, while nature lovers can tour the Amazon Rainforest and the Pampas, looking out for howler monkeys and capybaras. Oh, and don’t miss the Bolivian Salt Flats – an eerily silent, blinding white lunar landscape, dotted with flamingos. (credit:Amy Kristine Hansen via Getty Images)

New Mexico(07 of08)

The surreal, parched New Mexico desert was as much the star of Breaking Bad as Walter White, but don’t let all that malarky put you off. Everything in volcanic New Mexico is big, hot and deep – from the 80ft-deep warm Blue Hole pool, brilliant gypsum White Sands to the huge starry night skies, clear enough to see the Andromeda Galaxy with the naked eye. Outdoor types love New Mexico’s forests, natural hot springs, limestone cave systems, intriguing rock formations and troglodyte dwellings dotted with mystical petroglyphs. And when you’ve had your fill of natural phenomena, fill up on New Mexico’s cheap and idiosyncratic cuisine. (credit:Keith Kapple via Getty Images)

Galicia(08 of08)

Everybody thinks they know Spain, but there are still little pockets of undiscovered Iberian loveliness. Galicia is one, and it’s cheaper than the Costas of the south because of its popularity with Spanish families.

The main reason to visit Galicia is its seafood, widely recognised as the best in the country. Tapas bars here are some of Spain’s most exciting. Sample razor clams, squid, cockles, and Galicia’s national dish, boiled octopus. (credit:Oliver Strewe via Getty Images)

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