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The dangerous stroller mistake parents are making

Click to play video: 'Shading babies in strollers: more harm than good?'
Shading babies in strollers: more harm than good?
Tue, Jul 26: Is one of the most common methods of shielding a baby from the sun actually increasing the danger? John Hua has the results of a sobering new study – Jul 26, 2016

Medical researchers in Sweden are warning parents about the dangers of draping blankets over strollers during the hot summer months.

Research shows even thin blankets, including muslin cotton, can create a Thermos-like effect because of bad air circulation.

“If a child is unable to dissipate the heat and they find themselves in that situation they become dehydrated,” said Ian Pike with the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit.

“Then things sort of get into heat exhaustion and if that’s not taken care of then this quite quickly progresses to heat stroke.”

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Test have shown if the temperature is 22 degrees, a stroller draped with a blanket – even a thin one  – can have the inside temperature rise up to 34 degrees in just half an hour.

“There’s a balance between using a blanket to try to shade from the sunlight versus sort of trapping heat within the pram,” added Pike.

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The warning applies to light weight cotton such as muslin.

“I do tend to do that, and then I realized it’s too hot, because it I put like my hand in here [the stroller] you can see how hot it is,” said mother Biancca Ozawa.

Alternatives recommended include a parasol or a canopy that rest off the stroller rather than over it.

With files from John Hua

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