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Cold and power outages
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In a winter power outage, babies lose heat quickly. Keep the baby warm safely and protect the whole family from carbon monoxide.
What to do
- Dress the baby in layers: one more layer than you are wearing. While awake, add a hat, socks and mittens.
- Skin-to-skin: hold the baby against your chest and cover you both with a blanket, only while you are awake.
- For sleep: warm sleep clothing and a wearable blanket (sleep sack), on the back in the crib, with no loose blankets.
- Gather the family in one small room, close doors and block drafts with towels.
- Feed the baby often: eating helps the body make heat.
- If the home gets very cold, go to relatives or a warming center.
- Have battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors.
What not to do
- Never use a generator, grill, charcoal or camp stove inside the home or garage. Generators go outside, more than 20 feet (6 m) from doors and windows.
- Don't use a gas oven or stove to heat the home.
- Keep space heaters 3 feet (1 m) from everything, never near the crib, and turn them off during sleep.
- In the car seat, no bulky coat: buckle the baby in and put the blanket over the straps.
- Don't use electric blankets or hot-water bottles with the baby.
