I have been concerned about a habit among new parents to cover their babies
in the car seats with blankets.  These babies are not just covered up for a
moment or two between car and coming inside in the winter.  The parents are
keeping them covered in malls, while sitting waiting to be seen in the
breastfeeding clinic, while waiting to go back outside etc. They might have
a blanket on for half an hour if we didn't mention it to them.

We teach all parents we see to not keep babies covered other than for a
moment when going out to the car when it is really cold.  I sometimes get
an overwhelming urge to grab blankets off car seats in the malls when I see
this done. (Not trying to reopen the discussion about the over use of car
seats or "plastic baby buckets" which has been well covered in the
archives.)

I have been wondering about the impact of rebreathing CO2 for these babies.
I also wonder about the combination of the positioning in car seats, with
its impact on O2 satuaration, combined with this covering up.   We are
hoping this will be studied soon.

I am not sure if this is a local phenomenon - either the winter weather or
possibly a concern for infections in the post SARS era?

Is this going on in other clinics?  Do your mums frequently arrive with
their babies covered up?

Janet Vandenberg RN, BScN, IBCLC
Public Health Nurse
Ontario, Canada

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