Covering a pram with a blanket keeps a baby cool in hot weather

What the research found

A 2023 study in Ergonomics tested eight pram set-ups over 16 hot summer days. Draping a dry muslin cloth over the pram raised the air temperature inside by 2.6 °C. It also raised the heat-stress measure (WBGT) by 0.9 °C compared with a standard pram.

The best result came from a moist muslin cloth combined with a battery-operated clip-on fan. This cut the air temperature inside the pram by 4.7 °C and the WBGT by 1.4 °C.

Official guidance agrees. Red Nose Australia says dry blankets or plastic covers reduce airflow and raise the temperature inside the pram. It says overheating is a known risk factor for SIDS and SUDI. NHS advice also says not to cover a pram with a blanket because it could lead to overheating. Both suggest shade, or a sunshade or parasol.

What it doesn’t mean

• Wet muslin is not risk-free. Red Nose advises checking it every 20 minutes and re-wetting it so it doesn't dry out. Check your baby often, whatever you use.
• Watch for signs of heat stress: listlessness or irritability, pale and clammy skin that turns hot and flushed, and heavy sweating that later stops. A baby who seems unwell in the heat needs prompt medical advice.
• Keeping the sun off your baby still matters. The advice is to use better methods: shade, a sunshade, going out earlier or later in the day, and keeping babies out of direct sun.