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The baby has cold hands and feet Komarovsky. Cold hands in a baby: looking for the cause and dealing with it

The arrival of a baby in a family brings a lot of different emotions. Joy and happiness alternate with anxiety and concern for the health and well-being of the new family member. One of the most common questions young parents ask pediatricians is: “Why do my babies have cold hands and feet?” But is it worth worrying about? Let's figure it out together.

Possible causes of the phenomenon

1. Hypothermia. This, of course, is the first thing that comes to mind, especially for our dear grandmothers who simply love to bundle up babies. Indeed, cold extremities may indicate that the child is cold. But if this is the case, mom will easily notice other signs of hypothermia, namely:

  • arms and legs are not cool, but literally icy;
  • the face becomes pale, and the lips, instead of a rich pink color, acquire a lilac or bluish tint. Sometimes not the entire surface of the lips turns blue, but only their border;
  • the child suddenly develops hiccups;
  • often, when a baby gets cold, his snot starts flowing;
  • At first, the baby actively moves its limbs (instinctively, to keep warm), but then becomes lethargic and falls asleep;
  • if mom puts her hand behind her collar, she will feel that the skin there is cold (or covered in cold sweat). You can also correctly assess the child’s condition by placing your hand on his chest: if the chest is cool to the touch, then the child is definitely freezing;
  • the baby has cold not only hands and feet, but also the inner surface of the thighs, calves, and forearms;
  • measure body temperature: in babies under one year of age, readings of 36.4 °C and below indicate hypothermia.

They often say that you need to first touch the baby’s nose: if it’s cool, it means it’s frozen. But this is not entirely true. In fact, if it’s winter outside and the nose is cool, then most likely the baby is fine and comfortable. But if it is very cold, that’s a completely different matter. Doctors also advise assessing the temperature not of the tip of the nose, but of the bridge of the nose.

2. The second reason (also quite common) is imperfection of the process thermoregulation in infants. For example, the body of an adult in any conditions strives for balance and maintaining the required body temperature. So, if it’s hot around us, the body cools down with the help of sweat; if it’s cold, we get goosebumps.

But the art of thermoregulation is honed with age; a baby’s body is simply not yet able to quickly adapt to environmental changes. Therefore, it is very dependent on external temperature conditions. Hence the risks associated with hypothermia or overheating.

3. Sometimes cold extremities - a sign that the baby is malnourished(when it comes to the amount of food consumed) or his body receives few vitamins and minerals(when it comes to food quality).

4. Iron deficiency in the body. Normal level iron in a child under 12 months of age is 110 units. Anything below is considered a shortage. Against this background, anemia develops. It also happens in absolutely healthy children born on time, but more often in low birth weight and premature babies. Main reasons:

  • errors in nutrition (there are few foods containing iron on the menu);
  • characteristics of the body and heredity;
  • internal hemorrhages;
  • infectious processes in the body, frequent colds;
  • poor permeability of the intestinal walls (iron is poorly absorbed).

Signs:

  • pale skin;
  • poor appetite;
  • low weight gain;
  • unstable stool (there may be constipation, diarrhea, irregular stool);
  • poor sleep;
  • The baby often sweats.

The diagnosis is made based on the result of a blood test.

5. Disruption of the endocrine system. In this case, along with cold hands and feet, there are difficulties during defecation, thickening of the tongue, moodiness and tearfulness for no apparent reason, weakness and hoarseness of the voice. Here you cannot do without consulting an endocrinologist.

6. It happens that the child's body temperature is elevated(usually the thermometer records readings of 38 degrees or more), but my limbs are still cold. This indicates a lack of balance between heat transfer and its production; the vessels do not expand, but, on the contrary, narrow. Therefore, the arms and legs become cold.

Parents' actions

First you need to find out why the baby still has cold extremities. Further actions will depend on this.

1. If you are sure that the matter is hypothermia, it is necessary to warm the baby, and as soon as possible. But don’t rush to wrap him up and put “a thousand clothes” on him. First, increase the number of layers of clothing. by one and watch the baby’s body reaction.

More effective method quickly warm the baby - place him on your stomach and hug him. The warmth of an adult's body will help well and quickly. If the air temperature at home is comfortable, then this will be enough. If it’s cool at home, you can additionally cover yourself and your baby with a blanket.

It’s easier, of course, to prevent the child from freezing:

  • observe the temperature regime and optimal humidity in the room (18–23 degrees and 50–60%, respectively);
  • dress your baby according to the weather at home and outside;
  • If the child is already walking, shoes deserve special attention: they should not be tight; feet freeze the fastest in such shoes.

The child’s diet must contain the entire set of essential microelements. With the introduction of complementary foods, regularly provide warm foods and drinks. Until this point, make sure that the mixture is warm (as is the water if you finish drinking it). But the temperature of the milk directly in the mother’s breast is ideal and does not need correction.

2. If the child has a bad heat exchange and therefore the limbs are almost always cold, you must always take this moment into account and create comfort for him with the help available funds(dress correctly, cover if necessary, monitor the air temperature around). In addition, it will help:

  • regular gymnastics: clapping your hands, fingering your fingers, doing a “bicycle”, bending and unbending your arms and legs is easy and very useful, including for blood circulation;
  • massage: recommendations for children under one year old can be obtained from a pediatrician, and exercises should be performed daily, making them part of the daily morning or evening ritual;
  • walks: breathing fresh air is necessary at any age, and children are recommended to walk for 2-3 hours a day almost from birth (and more in good weather);
  • air baths, which are another mandatory component of hardening, 10–15 minutes a day is quite enough;
  • dousing with water 1–2 degrees lower than the one in which the child was washed. This is a wonderful end to bathing and another method of hardening.

3. It's about nutrition? If breastfeeding, reconsider your diet. Include more foods rich in vitamins and minerals, and pay attention to those containing a lot of iron. Feed your baby on demand, not by the clock. When artificially feeding, regularly check the volume of the formula and the frequency of feeding with your pediatrician. Regardless of the food your baby receives, weigh yourself regularly.

4. Iron deficiency anemia definitely needs to be treated. Prescribed:

  • a special diet that involves frequent consumption of foods rich in iron (buckwheat, red meat, especially veal and beef, liver and other offal, broccoli, etc.);
  • vitamins (folic acid is especially necessary, which helps iron to be absorbed);
  • iron preparations (one of them is Maltofer).

5. Eliminate thyroid pathology Consulting an endocrinologist will help. If necessary, he will prescribe a series of studies to clarify the diagnosis.

6. If the baby’s limbs are cold against the background of elevated body temperature, there is no need to immediately try to bring it down with strong antipyretics. First you need to warm your extremities. To do this you can:

  • rub them with your hands;
  • put on socks and mittens.

Thus, cold hands and feet in a baby rarely indicate any serious problems in the body. But you need to focus primarily on his well-being. If parents notice that the child is nervous, sleeps poorly, eats and loses weight (or notices other alarming symptoms), it is recommended to make an appointment with the pediatrician and ask him all your questions. He will help clarify the situation and tell you what measures need to be taken. After all, when it comes to a child’s health, letting the situation take its course is the last thing you should do.

After the birth of a child, every mother finds any reason to be extra nervous and a little worried. One of these reasons for unjustified fears is the discovery of a violation of heat exchange in a toddler, which manifests itself in the form of cold legs and arms. But pediatricians assure that young mothers’ fears about this are completely unfounded, since this is a normal occurrence for infants under 2 years of age. That’s only if the mother does not discover that the child’s hands and feet are cold over the age of 2 years. In this situation, such symptoms may indicate serious complications and justifiably alarm mothers.

What do cold extremities indicate in children over 2 years old?

Despite the fact that infants are more susceptible to various negative factors, in the current situation when a child over 2 years of age exhibits symptoms of heat exchange disorders, it is worth paying attention to them. Special attention. The main reasons for such a phenomenon as impaired thermoregulation include the following factors:

  1. Vegetovascular dystonia. The human nervous system controls the functioning of all available internal organs and systems. In case of various failures, serious disturbances in the functioning of the body as a whole are detected. Such disruptions can lead to the development of vegetative-vascular dystonia, which is an involuntary contraction of muscle tissue and fibers. With the development of such spasms, a narrowing of the lumen in the vessels is observed, as a result of which a circulatory disorder occurs. With the development of circulatory disorders, symptoms are observed that manifest themselves in the form of cold extremities.
  2. Excessive excitability of the nervous system. If a child’s hands and feet are frozen, this phenomenon may occur against the background of recent stressful situations and violent emotions. If a child is very excitable, then disturbances in his body are obvious. Excessive excitability manifests itself as the main symptom, as a result of which the hands and feet become cold, and the palms sweat.
  3. Reduced immunity. If your baby's hands and feet are cold, this may indicate a weakened immune system. Typically, weak immunity manifests itself in the form of symptoms such as fatigue and lethargy. Children with weak immunity exposed to various negative factors.
  4. Iron-deficiency anemia. If a child has iron deficiency anemia, symptoms such as cold hands may be diagnosed. The legs do not get cold, which is due to a lack of iron in the body.
  5. Low calorie diet. If a child does not eat meat products, then cold hands and feet indicate a basic lack of nutrients.

There are other reasons for the manifestation of this symptom, but it is often associated with the first three factors. With timely diagnosis of this manifestation, you can resort to conducting the necessary research with further therapeutic therapy.

What to do in a situation when your baby has cold extremities

Now we know why a baby may have cold hands and feet, but what to do in such a situation? After all, not every mother will be able to sleep peacefully, knowing that the child has signs of the disease. To rule out serious illnesses, you need to immediately go to the hospital for examination.

Parents can influence their infants' thermoregulation by doing the following:

  1. The first thing parents should do is fill the life of their little one with activity and variety. Children love to explore the world, not only in the first years of life, but all the time. This will not only improve the baby’s mood, but also strengthen the immune system. Children should definitely do gymnastics, play active and gambling games with them.
  2. It is necessary to engage in children's hardening from childhood, which will not only strengthen the immune system, but also saturate the baby's life with variety.
  3. Control your diet. Every day, the baby’s body must receive the required amounts of such basic components as fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and microelements. Children not only need vitamins and proteins, but are vital.
  4. Watch your clothes. The baby should not be wrapped in warm blankets if the room temperature is maintained at normal temperature. When taking walks in the fresh air, you should monitor the baby’s condition; if he is cold, then dress him warmly, and if he is hot, then take off warm clothes.
  5. Eliminate factors that interfere with normal blood flow. These factors include clothing and shoes. If the tight socks block the blood vessels, your feet will freeze even in the warmest clothes.

The factors indicating the disease in children over 2 years of age are presented above. As for newborns and infants, everything is much simpler here.

Cold feet and hands in infants: causes

Not many experienced mothers know why a small child has cold hands and feet at normal temperatures. First of all, this phenomenon in infants indicates that their body is adapting to the environment, as a result of which temperature changes are observed. Pediatricians assure parents that constantly cold feet and hands in infants is a normal sign that does not require intervention from parents. In addition, parents do not need to perform warming procedures if the baby has cold feet. After all, if you do not calculate overheating, especially with the help of warm blankets and clothes, then you can overheat the child, as a result of which the temperature will rise.

The baby’s blood vessels adapt to the environment, so temperature changes occur over a certain period. If your toddler's arms and legs are frozen, but at the same time skin remain pink, there is no reason to worry. This means that the body is being hardened, which will eliminate endless colds in the future.

Symptoms of pale and bluish skin on the hands indicate that blood circulation has slowed down due to vasoconstriction. A factor such as hypothermia could provoke such a phenomenon in an infant. Although hypothermia for a newborn is less dangerous than overheating, since after birth and up to a year, the child’s temperature is maintained elevated at 37.4 degrees.

It is important to know! Small children are designed in such a way that the greatest danger for them is overheating rather than hypothermia.

A newborn's cold hands may worry parents. Doctors say that this process can be considered the norm. The symptom is associated with the end of the formation of the autonomic system. Motor and sensory activity immediately after the baby is born is very different from that of an adult.

In infants, even in a warm room, the phalanges of the fingers can remain completely cold. It has been scientifically established that thermoregulation is completed only by 1.5 years. That is why mommy will have to use all means to warm the baby. To do this, you should wear warm clothes and use a blanket.

Symptoms of pathologies

Cold hands in a baby are not always an alarming symptom. However, parents are advised to closely monitor the general health of the baby. The sign may be the first bell that indicates the presence of developmental pathologies. It is imperative to consult your doctor if the baby additionally exhibits the following symptoms:

  • constant loss of appetite;
  • increased body temperature;
  • the child is constantly capricious and cries;
  • A severe rash is observed on the skin.

If the parents did not detect any of these negative manifestations, then cold hands only indicate that the autonomic system is at the stage of formation. After a certain period, adaptation will be completed and thermoregulation will return to normal.

However, if additional symptoms appear, you should immediately visit your pediatrician's office. He will be able to figure out why this symptom appears periodically.

Parents are not advised to wrap their child up too much. In this case, the process of its natural thermoregulation is disrupted. Because of this, the baby may become very sick in the future. Additionally, the risk of developing miliaria and diaper rash increases. A mother must determine differently whether her baby is cold. To do this, just touch your chest. The procedure should be performed with the back of your hand.

The baby is not cold if his body is at the same temperature as your hand.

In some cases, it is possible for the breast to be slightly cool.

If it is cold, then the baby should be covered with a blanket or dressed warmer.

Within a few minutes, the baby will warm up and quickly fall asleep.

In this case, parents will not have to worry about its comfort.

Basic methods for improving blood circulation

The heat transfer process can be improved if simple procedures are performed regularly. Doctors recommend massage, which involves gently massaging the upper and lower extremities. Such manipulations will additionally calm the child, give him vigor and normalize his sleep and rest patterns.

Gymnastics also has a positive effect on the body. It should be carried out regularly, starting from the first days of life. The procedure must be additionally combined with a bath and the baby being naked. Thanks to these simple manipulations, it is possible to dilate the blood vessels. After a certain period, the baby will be able to fully adapt to external conditions and feel comfortable in them.

Massage helps improve thermoregulation process

Hardening has a positive effect on the body as a whole. That is why even at an older age it is recommended to alternate the water temperature. When introducing complementary foods, it is necessary to monitor its temperature. Completely cold food should not be used. Immediately after the baby is born, it is recommended to constantly wear special mittens for him. Additionally, they will protect your baby's skin from scratches. You should also wear thin socks on your feet at home. Clothing should not interfere with normal movements. The baby feels comfortable in things that fully correspond weather conditions.

Parents should check the temperature of their hands after finishing water treatments. If they are cold, then you should gently rub the skin using a terry towel. If the symptom persists for a long time and is accompanied by moodiness and poor appetite, it is recommended to seek advice from a specialist in this field. He will prescribe the necessary tests, on the basis of which a diagnosis will be made.

Fine-tuning of all systems of a child’s body begins from the first day of life. Some systems quickly return to normal, others take longer. The process of thermoregulation is formed in a child up to 1.5 years old - this is why small children freeze and overheat so quickly. Cold hands and feet of a baby cause concern among mothers, and they often ask questions about the reasons for this phenomenon, worry about what to do and how to warm the baby. It is important to find out the causes of the syndrome, and only then take action.

The main causes of cold hands and feet

It is difficult to independently identify the cause of cold hands and feet in infants. There is often no cause for concern if the baby appears to be cold, but sometimes there may be something lurking behind the baby's cold palms. serious problem. What factors do doctors call:

If your newborn has cold hands and feet, check for other symptoms consistent with certain medical conditions. If they are absent, then there is no serious danger to the baby’s health, it’s just that his autonomic system is at the stage of formation. If you doubt your own diagnosis, show the baby to a specialist. The doctor will examine the little patient, conduct a comprehensive examination and identify the culprit of the problem.


When should you be concerned?

The problem is how can a mother understand whether there is cause for serious concern, or whether cold feet and palms are not a sign of a dangerous disease. If the baby's limbs and nose become cold and the body temperature is elevated, it's time to call the pediatrician. The doctor will determine the problem and prescribe the necessary medications for the baby. In addition to antipyretics, vasodilators and antihistamines may be prescribed.

With icy and wet feet and palms and a temperature rising to 38 degrees, it is difficult to know whether your baby is cold or hot. In such cases, the newborn is given antispasmodics. The decision about their use is made by the pediatrician.

To keep warm, you can completely cover the baby with a blanket, but if the temperature rises above 39 degrees, only cover the legs. Pay attention to the general well-being of the baby and be sure to remain under the supervision of a doctor.

Urgent measures should be taken even when the baby is hot, cries for a long time, is capricious, refuses to eat, and often burps. Rashes on the skin are considered an alarming sign. If the problem arises due to disturbances in the functioning of the thyroid gland, the baby requires qualified assistance not only from a pediatrician, but also from an endocrinologist.


What to do?

Young mothers are sensitive to the health of their little treasures; sometimes they are not reassured even by doctors’ assurances that the child is fine. Having discovered that their son or daughter has cold hands and feet, they try by any means to warm the baby. The bad thing is that sometimes such methods lead to disastrous consequences. What experts advise parents:

Accelerated metabolism is a physiological feature early age. Exchange processes pass faster in children than in adults. Let’s say a mother’s limbs are frozen while walking, but it’s not a fact that the same thing happens to the child. If the baby is healthy, his body produces more heat than the mother’s body.

Dr. Komarovsky explains cold extremities syndrome by temperature differences. IN armpits the temperature is slightly higher than in the legs and arms. If the baby's palms become cold, but the skin remains cool and retains pink color, he is in good health.

What should you not do?

In their feverish attempts to help their treasure, parents make a lot of mistakes. With their wrong actions, they not only do not help the child, but, on the contrary, aggravate the problem. What manipulations should not be done:

  • Rub the baby's feet and palms with a hard towel, especially after walking with the baby in the cold. The baby needs to be undressed and placed close to your body.
  • put on a large number of things and cover with a thick blanket, trying to warm the baby.
  • Panic. Carefully examine the baby, touch the forehead, try to determine the culprit of the icy hands and feet. Perhaps this is a normal condition for a child.

Parents should protect infants from stressful situations. The imperfect nervous system of children reacts painfully to any shock; malfunctions in its functioning cause cooling of the extremities and other unpleasant symptoms. It is important for adult family members to know and remember that doctors attribute the coldness of a baby’s hands and feet to a normal reaction of the body to the process of developing heat exchange. Unnecessary worries cause discomfort for both mother and child.

Today we will deal with another phenomenon in newborn children, with cold hands and feet. You have probably often noticed this with your baby, and your mother or grandmother, noticing this, suggested urgently wrapping the baby in everything that was at home.

In principle, this is how it used to be; due to the lack of necessary information, our grandmothers bundled up their children because they had cold extremities. It is, in principle, logical. If an adult has cold feet or hands, then they need to be rubbed and warmed. For newborns, everything is completely different.

Why is this happening

Children's extremities become cold because thermoregulation has not yet been established. Cold hands are a completely normal condition for infants. Therefore, if you wrap them up when the room is already warm, then you will simply interfere with the normal development of thermoregulation, plus the baby will begin to sweat and diaper rash may appear (). In more scientific terms, the autonomic nervous system of babies is not mature, and thermoregulation depends on it.

How to tell if your baby is really cold

Yes, the child could really freeze. But how can you check this if cold hands are not an indicator?

You need to undress the baby a little and touch the back of your hand to your baby's chest. If the temperature of your hand and the baby’s chest is the same, then everything is in order, but if the baby is colder, then you will have to warm him up urgently.

To keep your child warm, you can not only dress him more clothes but also grind.

It is also worth remembering that loose clothing is much warmer than tight-fitting clothing. Therefore, if you put some kind of small bodysuit on your baby and he gets cold because of this, then I think it’s time to buy your baby some bigger clothes.

You should also remember that in the first month of life, babies cannot keep warm at all, so you will have to maintain the optimal temperature in the room around 25 degrees. It is highly not recommended to overheat or overcool a child at this age.

When to sound the alarm

Cold hands in a child may be one of the symptoms of a cold. In this case, in addition to cold hands and feet, the child also experiences elevated temperature bodies.

In addition to temperature, there may also be:

  • Snot and cough;
  • Rash on the child's body;
  • Refusal to eat, vomiting or frequent regurgitation;
  • The child is capricious and cries for no reason.

In all these cases, it is better for you to contact your pediatrician so that he can examine your baby and give you qualified advice that relates specifically to your case.

It is also worth mentioning here that one of the reasons for impaired thermoregulation may be a disease of the thyroid gland. So keep that in mind too.

Improving the blood circulation of the baby

In order to improve your child’s blood circulation, you need to perform a number of simple actions and your baby will not freeze and his hands and feet will get cold much less often.

  1. Massage, both the whole body and the child’s limbs, plus exercise. Both adults and children benefit from massage; it not only strengthens muscles, but also promotes better blood circulation.
  2. There is no need to put too many clothes on your child. Don't listen to your mothers and grandmothers. A pile of clothes will only discourage a child. Plus, it will thus never harden, and you will continue to wrap it up all your life. However, this does not mean that the baby should be kept undressed (you yourself are in a sweater - the child is in a T-shirt, this should not happen).
  3. Comfortable and spacious clothes that should not squeeze anything. The baby's skin should breathe, and his legs and arms should feel free. Blood flows poorly into the crushed limbs and this makes them cold.
  4. When you start introducing complementary foods to your child, make sure that the mixture or liquid is not cold, this cannot be done.
  5. Try drying your child's limbs with a rough towel after bathing. You still simply blot the body with a gentle towel, but you can wipe the limbs with a rougher one so that they become pink.

That's basically it, Dear friends, I hope you understand that there is nothing wrong with the fact that your little child’s hands and feet get cold, this is a completely normal process in most cases.