Salt heating pad for newborns: instructions for use other options for heating pads

Every second of delay will seem like torture to a mother when her baby is suffering from colic. It’s even worse when the problem occurs outside the home and there is no way to quickly help the newborn. A salt heating pad, unlike a classic one, is ready for use almost instantly and can be used in any environment. The self-heating applicator is capable of warming or cooling, is safe for children, does not cause allergic reactions, can work autonomously for several hours, easily takes the required shape, and does not require an external source of energy.

The salt heating pad has occupied a special niche in the care of newborns.

How does a salt heating pad work?

The principle of operation of a salt heating pad is to release heat when its liquid contents transform into crystalline form. Externally, it is a sealed volumetric container, inside of which there is a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate.

A saturated solution is very easy to unbalance, so any intervention, including simply pressing a special button inside, leads to the formation of a crystallization center. Excess sodium acetate crystallizes as a precipitate, releasing heat until the solution becomes saturated. Thanks to this type of heating of the heating pad, you can significantly save time if your child has colic.

Moments when the use of a heating pad is contraindicated

The question of why and for what purpose thermal or warming procedures are needed for newborns and whether they are always appropriate remains relevant. So, if a newborn has an acute respiratory viral infection, then a heating pad should not be used during exacerbations of the disease. Any effect of heat on the body can catalyze an already active process of inflammation. Warming procedures will be effective only when the disease begins to subside.

For colic in the tummy, you should start using a heating pad only after a medical diagnosis has been made and the doctor’s permission.

How to use a salt heating pad with a button for newborns

If you use a heating pad to combat colic in a child under one year old, you need to follow a certain algorithm of actions:

1. Press the applicator to start heating the heating pad.
2. For children under 4 months of age, it is better to wrap the product in a thin towel.
3. Lightly knead the hardened heating pad.
4. When piercing, place a salt heating pad on the baby's tummy for 5 minutes.

When the colic subsides, the baby usually calms down and falls asleep.

There is no need to be afraid that the child will get burned by the heating pad, since it does not heat up to more than 54 degrees. This temperature is the most optimal and comfortable for a newborn. The heat is retained for several hours, depending on the size of the heating pad and the air temperature.

When do newborns need a heating pad?

To fully understand why a heating pad is used for a newborn, let us explain that in the initial period of life the child’s heat exchange system has not yet adjusted. And, in fact, even at a child's comfort temperature, a baby can feel cold.

There may be several reasons or situations in which a heating pad can serve a “good” purpose.

So, let's look at some of the most common situations when there is a need to use a heating pad.

Ensuring healthy sleep

It is precisely because the child’s heat exchange in a full understanding of this process is still absent in infancy. Additional warmth from a heating pad can protect the child from the cold, especially at night, and provide longer and healthier sleep. As for addiction, as the child grows older, he himself will refuse the heating pad.

Why do newborns need a heating pad while walking is a question that does not require an answer, especially when it comes to the cool season.

By the way, you can determine that a child is cold by his crying. The child does not whine loudly, rather plaintively, but very persistently and even with a degree of importunity. At night, such crying can turn into screaming. By putting your child to sleep with a heating pad, thereby providing him with additional warmth, you may notice over time that the child wakes up less often and sleeps longer. Before going to bed, it is recommended to put clothes heated with an iron (not hot) on the child and place him on a warm diaper.

Hot water bottle for newborns when sick

Treatment of newborns with various diseases using heating pads is recommended with caution.

The most common problem in newborns is colic. And, among pediatricians there is still no consensus on how to deal with them correctly. Some of them suggest giving the newborn specialized medications, while others advise warming up the little one’s tummy. And, as practice shows, warming the tummy with heating pads is a real salvation for the baby. But no thermal procedures without medical supervision. Otherwise, you can cause serious harm to your baby's health.

Additional uses of a salt heating pad

A salt heating pad can be used not only for colic, but also for warming various organs - the throat, nose, and ears of babies. It is also effective for dysplasia. In addition, adults can also use this heating pad to relieve muscle tension or headaches (using a cold compress). The duration of use of a heating pad wrapped in a towel is 20 - 30 minutes. When the heating pad has cooled down a little, you can remove the towel and leave the product for another 10 - 15 minutes.

Salt heating pad mattress delta term how to use video

Eliminating colic with heat

Tummy pain can cause a lot of discomfort for parents of a baby. The possibility of their occurrence cannot be completely excluded. However, there are remedies that will help get rid of them within a short period. It is important to choose a quick and effective remedy to warm your baby’s tummy. Until recently, this could only be achieved by heating the liquid to a certain temperature. In this case, it was necessary to ensure that the composition did not leave a burn. Compared to this product, a salt heating pad has a number of advantages:

We recommend reading: What a newborn needs

• Produces an exceptionally mild version of heat.
• It only takes a few minutes to start the procedure.
• There is no need for a permanent connection to the power supply. Any other method is used to heat water.
• The cover is made from natural materials, so it cannot cause allergies.
• The heating pad is small in size, so you can always take it with you.

This treatment option is used not only to eliminate colic. A heating pad will help quickly warm up your baby's feet after a walk in the cold. The size and shape can be adjusted so it can easily wrap around baby's legs. Just a few manipulations turn it into an envelope. The salt heating pad is convenient to use. Today, manufacturers make heating pads of bright and unusual shapes. They are funny and resemble children's toys.

To treat a newborn baby, you can use a heating pad only after it is wrapped in a napkin. In this case, it will be possible to lower the temperature to the desired level, and the baby’s skin will not receive a thermal burn.

To eliminate colic, you will need to apply a salt heating pad to your tummy for a long time. She should be wrapped in a towel for the first 30 minutes. After this period ends, it can be completely removed. It is convenient to use a salt heating pad, since the usual version will retain heat for only half an hour. At the end of this period, you will have to use a new product or reheat the old one.

Many parents prefer a hexagon or mattress made from this material. With its help you can easily warm up your baby's tummy. Kids love this procedure, so they quickly fall asleep. The pain is eliminated, so the children can sleep well and have quality rest.

Mothers will also be able to warm their limbs during the cold season

Warmers are universal, because they can even be used to warm bottles of milk or formula.

What to do if the heating pad does not work

Sometimes parents are faced with the fact that the heating pad malfunctions. This manifests itself during boiling after use. Usually the contents become liquid. But there are cases when the liquid immediately crystallizes after boiling. First of all, it is recommended to check whether the button or valve of the heating pad is accidentally jammed.

If this is all right, it is advised to leave the salt heating pad in the water in which it was boiled until it cools completely. If this does not help, you should boil the heating pad again and repeat the procedure. It is not recommended to turn it on until it has completely cooled down.

At all times, parents took care of the health of their children. They treated babies with special care. Various remedies were used, namely herbal infusions, baths with string, celandine, chamomile; in particular, salt heating pads served as a source of heat. Due to their ease of use, non-toxicity and reasonable price, the popularity of such heating pads is high. They are used to normalize blood circulation in individual parts of the body, accelerate the recovery of the body after illness, speed up metabolism and the banal comfort of the child in the crib.

But how do you decide what to choose? Which salt heating pad is best for newborns? Reviews, TOP 7 rating – we will reveal this and other information below in more detail.

What are they needed for?

Heating pads have long been used as a reliable and simple remedy for getting rid of various types of diseases. Dry heat significantly increases the effectiveness of medications, eliminates muscle pain, improves blood circulation in heated tissues and speeds up metabolism. Heating pads are indispensable for relieving young children of pain caused by intestinal colic.

These products also fulfill their original function - they warm the human body. On a cold day, you can put a warm container in the stroller with your baby so that he does not get cold during the walk. Also, a heating pad for newborns can warm up the baby’s crib so that it is more comfortable for him to lie down in it after water procedures.

Comparison of the characteristics of the presented heating pads

The table below presents brief parameters of the considered models.

Instructions for use

When using the product, adhere to the following rules:

• It should not be heated in microwave ovens.
• When restoring, be sure to use a cloth or towel.
• When removing it from hot water, do not use sharp objects - immediately after heat treatment, the plastic shell is vulnerable to damage.
• You should not break or fold the product if it does not fit entirely into the pan.
• If the shell is damaged, the contents will instantly crystallize and it will become unusable.
• Store the product in a shelf away from sunlight. Ultraviolet radiation has a detrimental effect on the solution.
• If the shell of the heating pad is pierced or expires, its further use is not recommended . It should be disposed of along with other waste - it does not contain toxic or poisonous substances, so feel free to throw it into a general bin.
• If the product reaches a temperature of eight degrees below zero, you should first let it warm up to room temperature, and then restore functionality by boiling.
• If after purchase it is in a solid state, this means that the process of self-crystallization . To bring it into shape it should be boiled.
• During operation, formations in the form of snowflakes may appear inside the solution. This process is normal and does not affect operation.
• The solution is non-toxic. But in cases of contact with mucous membranes or irritated skin, rinse with warm water.

Heat as one of the ways to eliminate intestinal colic

One of the old ways to eliminate intestinal colic is the use of heat.

Doctors also recommend applying heat. But the method is not the only possible one and does not guarantee that the child will be relieved of pain.

Possible options:

• stroking the tummy with a warm palm clockwise around the navel;
• applying a diaper or heating pad heated with an iron to the umbilical area;
• placing the baby with his stomach on his mother’s stomach;
• carrying a baby in a sling.

Carrying a baby in a sling is an effective method of getting rid of colic

The most effective of the above methods is “carrying the baby in a sling,” since the baby constantly feels contact with his mother, he is warm and smells of milk. If it is difficult to carry a child on you all the time, then you can limit yourself to other options. They help some, others try to cope with colic with the help of medications, and sometimes none of the methods can calm the baby.

Some mothers suggest co-sleeping with their baby. At the same time, you can warm the child’s belly with your hand. They also recommend warm baths at night, and then a diaper heated with an iron on the stomach and legs. The diaper cools down quickly, so a convenient option is to apply a heating pad to the stomach through the diaper or a compress with warm vegetable oil.

A compress with warm vegetable oil has the same principle of operation as a heating pad, but it is less convenient to use. In addition, if you make a compress yourself, there is a possibility of oil leaking and the child getting burns if the oil is overheated.

All children are different, each reacts to colic in their own way, so if some method helped one baby, this does not mean that it will help another.

Water procedures as a sedative are not suitable for all children: some, on the contrary, become overexcited

Thus, water procedures as a sedative are not suitable for all children: some, on the contrary, become overexcited.

Reviews from moms about using heat

You have to go through this, no means will completely help. But the salt heating pad sometimes saved the day.

A warm bath is also very soothing, and if the attack starts again, then heat the diaper and apply it to the tummy and arms. Then I wrap the baby in a blanket and rock him to sleep. She calmed down and fell asleep.

(https://www.babyblog.ru/community/post/tenoten/1732293)

We also used a heating pad instead of a diaper; after all, it keeps the heat much longer. And before going to bed, a warm bath with a decoction of herbs helped us.

Marianne

(https://www.babyblog.ru/community/post/01medicina/1745015)

Colic is associated with overexcitability of the baby. And in the sling he calms down. So the sling helps.

(https://www.babyblog.ru/user/littlebig/543422)

Where is the best place to buy?

It is recommended to buy hygiene products, including salt heating pads, in pharmacies or specialty medical equipment stores. Also, on the websites of the manufacturer of these products. Do not purchase funds from untrustworthy stores or secondhand. Don't skimp on your health.

Internet pages where you can buy a thermal compress:

A salt heating pad is one of those items that makes life so much easier for new parents and their baby. Those who have not yet encountered such heating pads may be wondering how safe or necessary they are, how to use them, and what they are all about.

Additional Methods

In addition to applying heat, there are the following ways to relieve infant colic:

• the use of medications has no proven effectiveness. There is a medical opinion that if the baby feels better while taking medications, then this is most likely a coincidence; the improvement occurred for another reason. The most common medications against intestinal colic are dill water, Bobotik, Sab Simplex, Espumisan;
• use of a gas outlet tube / glycerin suppository / microenema - the use of a gas outlet tube should be done as a last resort, since improper use can result in injury to the rectal mucosa and intestinal perforation;
• correction of the mother’s diet (including adding dried fruits to the diet) - if there is a suspicion that the child is reacting to some product from the mother’s diet (during breastfeeding), then try not to eat it temporarily. If there are no changes, you should eat as before. You can add dried fruits to the diet, which will have a laxative effect on the child. If the baby is bottle-fed, then you should try changing the formula;
• giving your child an infusion of dried fruit - the infusion can be made with raisins or prunes (a few berries per glass of boiling water). This drink enhances intestinal motility, and the baby feels much better;
• massage - you need to use a warm palm to make circular movements around the umbilical area in a clockwise direction. Using a fitball also helps: the child is placed on it with his stomach down, while holding the legs with one hand and the back with the other. Next, you need to make circular movements, rocking the baby clockwise, and then back and forth;
• creating a calm atmosphere. The emotional component is no less important. If the mother is calm and positive, then it is much easier for the baby. To calm the baby, you can play music with sounds of nature, and at night, loose swaddling in a large thin blanket is effective so that the baby feels safe.

If in Russia it is traditionally believed that the nature of intestinal colic is associated with the gastrointestinal tract, then doctors from a number of European countries also attribute the immaturity of the nervous system of the newborn to the reasons. As soon as the child relaxes emotionally, the colic goes away. In addition, the child’s temperament and character play an important role. The more impatient the baby, the more pronounced the colic.

Combining the method of eliminating colic using heat with other methods will significantly alleviate the baby’s condition. For example, you can put a warm diaper (or attach a heating pad) to your baby’s tummy, swaddle him loosely, and put him to sleep with soothing music. It is also possible to lay the baby on his tummy on a warm sheet before the massage. Combinations of methods are different and in most cases safe, so it is necessary to monitor the condition and mood of the baby and select the method that makes him feel better.

Types of salt heating pads

Salt heating pads are divided into 2 types - disposable and reusable. Disposable salt heating pads generate heat when exposed to oxygen. They cannot be restored after use. The heating pad looks like a rag or rubber case containing a dense dry mass that heats up when activated.

Reusable heating pads can be quickly returned to their original condition and used for quite a long time. This is the type most often preferred by parents. It is not only economical, but also convenient for a number of reasons:

• This heating pad is convenient to take with you,
• it can be quickly prepared for use,
• it does not need any heating sources (water, electricity, etc.),
• it quickly takes the shape of the body,
• does not cause allergies,
• You can't get burned on it.

Types of heating pads and their principle of operation

The principle of operation of such devices is quite simple - when the body is heated, the blood vessels of the organ expand, a blood flow occurs, which helps to cope with pain - the discomfort disappears. In addition, a heating pad for a newborn against colic will help rock the baby to sleep faster, even if the baby has not encountered this problem.

If our grandmothers had a rather limited choice - they applied either a warm, ironed diaper or a rubber heating pad itself, then the modern baby product industry offers a wide range of heating pads for newborns. These products will appeal to both functionality and aesthetics.

In addition to rubber ones, there are also heating pads for newborns:

• with filler (usually with cherry pits);
• gel;
• electrical;
• saline.

Each type has its own connoisseurs and advantages. Judging by the answers on the forums, mothers prefer either rubber products or heating pads with filling, which are made in the form of a soft toy.

How do salt heating pads for newborns work?

These types of heating pads are made in the form of cute toys, a small mattress, an octagon, a heart and other shapes. They are a container made of non-toxic and durable PVC film, which is filled with a supersaturated salt solution (sodium acetate), which is in a state of equilibrium. When you press the trigger (button or spring, depending on the model), a chemical reaction occurs with the release of heat, and the filler liquid begins to instantly crystallize until it becomes solid. The heating pad heats up to a temperature of 50-54 degrees and is capable of retaining heat from half an hour to 4 hours, depending on the size of the product and the ambient temperature.

The filler is not dangerous at all. Every housewife has carried out this reaction in her kitchen more than once, extinguishing baking soda with acetic acid. Sodium acetate is used as a preservative in the preparation of various baked goods, is found in many fruits and is formed during the fermentation of dairy products.

It can be used for colic, to keep a baby warm outside, at home, or even as a cold compress.

Causes and signs of intestinal colic

Intestinal colic is a spasm of the muscles of the large intestine, which occurs due to stretching of its wall by gases, which leads to painful sensations. As a rule, infant colic appears at the age of 2-3 weeks and lasts up to 2-3 months.

However, if malnutrition occurs due to illness, appetite may be reduced and the glands become volatile. Level hypotrophy occurs when the subcutaneous layer of the abdomen and limbs almost disappears and decreases on the face. The skin is pale, dry, may be wrinkled, and skin elasticity decreases. The mucous membrane is dry, pink. Vivid muscle hypotonia; children often develop irritation and sometimes vomiting. They often have diarrhea, there is not much stool. Nervous and mental formation slows down and body resistance decreases.

Level hypotrophy occurs when subcutaneous fat disappears from the limbs, abdomen and face. Lack of body weight by more than 30%. The weight growth curve decreases. The skin is pale with a grayish tint, dry, wrinkled. The mucous membrane is dry, bright red. Sometimes fluid loss can include muscle hypertension. Food tolerance decreases and therefore diarrhea is often present. The child's apathy often changes with monotonous screaming and restlessness. At this stage of malnutrition, secondary infection easily contributes.

A child is born with a sterile gastrointestinal tract, which subsequently begins to be populated by various microflora from the environment and breast milk. Microbes multiply and gas formation increases. The formation of the intestines usually occurs by the 3rd month of a child’s life. By this time, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is normalized, and the baby is no longer tormented by colic. It happens that colic goes away only by 6 months, but at the same time it is episodic in nature. Among the causes of intestinal colic are:

When a baby is digested in milk, the feces are dry, bulky, greyish, smell of mushrooms, alkaline reactions. Constant overeating of children with foods containing high levels of carbohydrates often leads to the development of genital mutilation and hypotonia of the muscles of the limbs. The abdomen is swollen, the gums are semi-liquid, foamy, due to immature starch, there is a brownish tint.

Common complications include otitis media, pneumonia, drug addiction, and pyoderma. First you need to remove the cause of malnutrition. Isolating stimulants, suppressed secondary infection. Hygienic conditions and childhood education are very important for the treatment of hypothyroidism. Since there is limited food tolerance and the child must have more calories and more food ingredients, diet is important in the comprehensive treatment of hypothyroidism.

• swallowing air during feeding due to improper latching or too intense sucking;
• gas formation.

To exclude the first reason, it is necessary to attach the baby to the breast correctly (the entire areola should be captured, and not just the nipple). After feeding, you need to hold the baby in an upright position to allow the air to escape. It is advisable to place the baby on his stomach before each feeding.

Pulling the legs towards the stomach is one of the signs of intestinal colic

Intestinal colic can be recognized by the following signs:

• prolonged screaming (more than 1 hour), in most cases at the same time (while the rest of the time the child behaves calmly);
• pulling the legs towards the stomach;
• Frequent passing of gas.

Video: Dr. Komarovsky’s opinion on the causes of intestinal colic

Step-by-step instructions for using a salt heating pad

1. press the starter (depending on the model),
2. wait until all the liquid hardens and heats up,
3. Stretch the applicator with your hands until it takes the desired shape,
4. After using the heating pad, it must be boiled in water, wrapped in a napkin or cloth. The boiling time must be specified by the manufacturer. The process may take 5-20 minutes.

For newborns, a temperature of 50 degrees is too high, so when applying a heating pad to the baby, you must first wrap it in a diaper.

To use as a cold compress, the heating pad must be placed in the refrigerator in advance for no more than half an hour. If you put the applicator in the freezer, a spontaneous crystallization process may begin and then it will heat up rather than cool down. The filler must be in an undischarged liquid state.

Electric heating pad for colic: precautions

1. To get rid of colic, such a device must be used extremely carefully, checking its temperature level every minute. It is very easy to overheat a baby, and the consequences can be severe. Constantly maintaining the temperature by connecting it to the network makes the device indispensable for heating a crib or playpen in which a baby will lie.
2. The main disadvantage of an electric heating pad is its dependence on an outlet - you cannot take it for a walk, and you cannot walk around the room with a baby in your arms. Therefore, judging by the reviews of mothers, such a device for getting rid of colic in a newborn is used less and less.

How to care for a heating pad

During use, under no circumstances should the seal of the salt heating pad be broken. This will render it unusable. Also, to make it last longer, you need to adhere to certain rules:

• Reconstruction should only be carried out in boiling water, wrapping the applicator in a cloth,
• do not reconstitute using a microwave oven,
• in a hardened state, do not fold, do not break,
• if it has frozen in such a shape that it does not fit into the pan, then you need to heat each side in turn,
• if the heating pad spontaneously crystallizes, then it must first be warmed at room temperature, and then restored using the usual method,
• If the heating pad does not start when first used, it must first be boiled.

A salt heating pad can be purchased at almost every pharmacy or baby store. Before use, be sure to read all instructions and quality certificate. It is worth paying attention to the quality of the materials from which the heating pad is made. It should not have an unpleasant or pungent odor, the packaging should be intact. Then the heating pad, when used correctly, will not harm the child.

It can be placed on the baby's stomach for colic or on the legs for warmth, and he will not feel it. This is the easiest and fastest way to eliminate infant colic without medication.

Baby warmer with cherry pits

1. This is one of the most aesthetically attractive types of heating pads.
2. Manufacturers disguised this practical device as a soft children's toy or pillow.
3. It is made of fabric, often natural (linen or cotton), which is why mothers love it so much.
4. The filling inside is cherry pits, which is also an environmentally friendly product.

The rules for using a heating pad with cherry pits for a newborn are simple:

• The pad is placed directly in the microwave for a few minutes, where the cherry pits reach the required temperature.
• Further, such a device will be able to warm the baby’s tummy for up to 2-3 hours.

It is worth noting the fact that cherry pits in the fabric develop fine motor skills of the baby’s hands; he will be happy to play with such a heating pad and it will not go to waste.

The disadvantage that many mothers emphasize on forums is the fragility of the heating pad toy for newborns. The fact is that not all manufacturers have provided a clasp on the product, with which you can remove the filling and wash the cover itself. Washing cherry pits together with the fabric risks that the filling will not dry out and mold will form in it.

But since such a heating pad can be sewn yourself, and cherry pits are quite accessible in the summer, it is worth providing a removable cover with an interesting print or appliqué. When making it yourself, you need to make sure that the filler is completely dry.

Contraindications for using a salt heating pad for newborns

Before use, be sure to consult a doctor, as the heating pad has contraindications:

• inflammations, skin wounds,
• pustules and ulcers,
• fever,
• allergy,
• pain, the cause of which is unknown.

Abdominal pain in a newborn can be caused not only by colic, then the heating pad becomes useless and sometimes even harmful, which is why it is so important to first ask an experienced physician.

Basically, the salt type of heating pads has earned positive reviews from parents. Their only disadvantage is that they do not hold heat for long and cool down quickly. Then you should pay attention to larger models, in the shape of a mattress or an octagon.

Contraindications to using a heating pad

• inflammation of the abdominal organs, diseases of the stomach and intestines;
• rash, redness on the skin of the abdomen;
• any acute diseases (including the acute stage of acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections);
• presence of injuries or wounds in the child.

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