Different customs regarding infants

[sweddude]

Im the father of a newborn doughter, and i am having some difficulties accepting some thai customs regarding the helth of the newborn. In temperatures exiding 30 celsius the mother still will put blankets on the baby - witch according to all expertise is clearly dangerous and can lead to Infant Death. Any temperature above 20 celsius is not good. Anyone have any similar experience, or knows anything about how to reason with the mother regarding this?

[Rooster]

Swed. It is not a matter of Thai custom or practices. It is more like educated and ignorant mother. Common Thais do not even use blankets or thick sleeping clothes when they sleeping at night since the weather in Thailand is not cold enough. Those who are able to have A/C in mostly urban areas do use blanket when they are sleeping, which is ironic to me. You need to also understand that women's body temperatures fluctuate more than men's body temperature. So they feel cold more easily than men and would think that it is the same as children. On the other hand, there is a common old Chinese practice to cover with thick blanket when a person is sick with high fever. This is not a Thai practice. The Chinese logics are often derived from their versions of common senses by trails and errors and not scientific. I.E. the persons will shiver at certain stages of fever and feeling chill so it is logical for them to be covered. The child who is suffering from fever will need to be covered at certain stages and not when the fever is higher than the normal body temperature. The child should be covered when the fever is dropping since the small body would lose heat quicker than adult's body. The child will feel chill and shiver. It is up to the parents to constantly monitor the body's temperature and push fluids.

[a watcher]

As an early learner father, I agree your Thai wife. I believed you failed to understand what the doctor advised your wife how to keep the new born.. The newborn must be kept for a while in same conditon of mother's womb.

Also in Thailand, many of newborn is 'baked' in ICU for a while just after born because of light but jaundice syndrome.

[a watcher]

Also I forgot some thing to 'brand new father' who must do these unfailingly.

1. Buy an electronic thermometer for the infant. when 35.5 degree below and 37.5 degree celcius over, it gives out warning sound, then you must rush to the maternity center then nurse will put it into ICU or helogen lamp lighting stand. The doctor will explain to you in good english.

2. Go to Asia book center and buy a good book how to handle the justborn, infancy and toddler, that guides you daily, weekly and monthly what to do or what not to do.
The best book is one written by a japanese doctor (Yukio Moriatke ?!) that offers Thai translation that is most helpful to a Thai mother. it teaches every daily work that a mother must follow.

3. When your justborun sleeps, poke your finger into the back neck of child and check if the humidity is proper, little wet, an ideal condition. However, too much wet or too dry, regard it abnomal to check immediately the body temp and fever.

4. The newborn must sleep longer as much as possible, maybe 20 hours a day. When sleep the baby properly grows. Dont disturb it, no hugging and walking outside. It does not need 'excersice'.