Are heaters safe for babies in winter?

When the winter season comes every parent's first question is heater safe for babies? The baby brings joy and happiness to parents, and at the same time, parents want to take care of their little ones. The cold is always significantly increased in night periods during the winter season. Cold weather makes parents take all kinds of precautions to keep their babies safe and warm. It is very important to protect the babies from the winter season considering cold, running nose, and nasal blockage. Therefore keeping the baby warm during the winter season is needed.

Although you keep your babies warm, dressing them properly with warm clothes such as gloves, socks, caps, and blankets isn’t so comfortable while sleeping for babies. Shutting the windows and wrapping around a blanket might be a solution although not very efficient for babies, the best heater can be advised in the baby’s room.

Besides having plenty of warm liquids and winter clothes, a good room heater can protect the babies from catching a cold. One of the precautions is using room heaters for that extra warmth and comfort. But is a room heater safe for babies? Well, the simple answer is not always. Yes, certain types of heaters may indeed be safe for use around babies.

As a room heater absorbs moisture, the baby develops dry skin with a dry nasal passage as well. If the room heater is left on for a long time, the dryness can also lead to a nosebleed in the baby. With continuous and unregulated use of a room heater, the baby develops dry skin. Dry skin will lead to itchy skin. To avoid those, the following are some ways.

• Keep a bowl of water in the baby’s room when the heater is switched on to maintain moisture in the air.
• Apply natural oils and creams on their skin to avoid dryness and itching. Their skin absorbs moisture and balances out their body’s natural moisture content.

Read Also: Basic 6 Tips To Take Care of Newborn Baby

Ideal Characteristics of Room Heater safe for babies

• The room heater should be child-safe.
• The room heater should not burn the oxygen.
• It should not reduce the humidity.
• Try to get an automatic shut-off room heater that shuts off when the room is heated enough to avoid prolonged usage.
• Portable and compact
• The surface doesn’t heat up

Keeping a heater in the baby’s room

You should strictly follow the following rules for safety and comfort reasons.

• Avoid the use of heaters that make use of fuel such as gas, or kerosene.
• Place it away from flammable objects in the room.
• Don’t place clothes on it to dry.
• Do not keep the heater turned on throughout the day and night and turn it off now and then. Don’t let the room end up overheating.
• The temperature setting of the heater must not be too high and set at a moderate level.
• Also, it is advisable to leave some windows or doors open when the heater in the baby’s room is on to avoid temperature fluctuation.

Choosing the right heater for a baby’s room depends on the following factors.

• How cold it gets where you live and for how many months?
• How big is the room and if some doors and windows let in the cold air?
• If the baby’s room is in a colder part of the house.
• When your house is situated in a specific direction where you are not able to get enough sunlight.

The best type of heater for a baby room

There are several options for room heaters in the market depending on the mode of operation and heat dispersal. Generally, heaters are either the electric type or the combustion type. The types of combustion heaters are also classified into vented and unvented whereas the types of electric heaters are oil heaters, convection ceramic heaters, and mica thermic heaters.

Among these oil heaters are considered to be the safest heater type for babies as their surface doesn’t heat up as much as others, making it safe for contact with babies.

Is a Ceramic heater safe for babies?

Like every other heater ceramic heaters are compact and portable heat sources. It has been observed that this type of heater has self-regulating features and most of them come with safety features as well. Thus, a ceramic heater is the safest for babies.

Are Kerosene heaters safe for babies?

During operation, kerosene heaters release odorless and colorless carbon monoxide waste which causes damage to the baby’s health. Henceforth, the selection of the best heater for the baby's room that does not release any gas waste that could be harmful to the baby’s health is important.

Thermostatic heaters

A thermostatic heater contains a programmable thermostat and works by recognizing a set room temperature. Therefore, you must ensure that it is a heater with a thermostat for the baby’s room before you purchase. These types of heaters are considered to be the safest for babies as they simply self-regulate themselves.

Is an oil heater safe for babies?

Firstly they are kid-safe and oil-filled room heaters won’t heat up. Oxygen is not burned to generate heat, hence oil-filled room heaters do not reduce oxygen levels and they do not reduce humidity in the air. Also making the best choice for the parents, they consume less electricity. The advantage of these heaters is that they maintain the room temperature quite well and the room warmer for a long time after they have been turned off.

So an oil heater is considered as the best room heater for newborn babies.

To Summarize

Heaters are not something a doctor would recommend easily, and neither is it considered essential in a baby’s room. Certain extreme conditions are required when you should opt to use a room heater. Otherwise, wrapping up your little one in warm layers is what every doctor tells you to do.

However, you still need to take all precautions to keep your babies away from the heating device. Keep in mind not to use a space heater for a prolonged time, and make sure your baby doesn’t feel suffocated or overheated.

The most important thing to remember is to make sure your little one stays comfortable and happy with all this!

Please follow us on our Facebook page and Instagram.