How to dress a newborn for daytime and outdoors

What's probably happening

Newborns under 8 weeks regulate temperature poorly and need one more layer than an adult would wear in the same space. The same chest or back-of-neck check you use for sleep is the right check awake.

• Indoors, dress for the room. Aim for the same 16–20°C range used for sleep.
• Outdoors, dress for the weather plus one layer. Newborns lose heat faster than adults and warm up faster in the sun.
• Hands and feet running cool is normal. The reliable check is the chest or the back of the neck — warm and dry, not hot or sweaty.

When to escalate

See a doctor when you can:

• Persistent flushing, sweating, or damp hair indoors at one layer in a 16–20°C room.

Get immediate medical care:

• Fever > 38°C in a baby under 3 months.
• Signs of heat stress after time outside: very hot skin, no sweating, unusual drowsiness, or refusal to feed.