From the moment a new family member appeared, all the efforts of the newly-made parents are aimed at caring for him and taking care of his health. Young mothers and fathers do not yet have sufficient experience in handling a baby, therefore, any slightest deviation in the state of the crumbs from generally accepted norms can cause unnecessary anxiety and anxiety.
If a newborn child's arms or legs are frozen, then, first of all, it is necessary to find out the reasons for this phenomenonFor example, when a baby's hands and feet are cold and sometimes wet, the first thing that parents try to do is warm the baby, because they believe that he is cold. However, much more often completely different reasons lead to cold extremities, many of which, in the normal state of the crumbs and the absence of other signs, are completely safe.
Causes of cold hands and feet
Of course, the very first reason people associate icy hands and feet, especially in the autumn-winter season, is hypothermia, but it is far from the only one of all possible options. The temperature indicators of the extremities can be influenced by various factors, and this is not only the ambient temperature. They also depend on the state of the autonomic nervous system, the health of the baby, and in the case of infants, even whether the baby is well fed or hungry.
It's important to note that age matters as well. The causes of cool hands and feet can be very different in infants and children over 2 years of age. The fact that for a month-old baby is a natural reaction of the body in the process of adaptation to new conditions, in a preschooler, it may indicate any pathology or disease.
Cold extremities in a newborn
During the first months of life, physiological characteristics babies are not yet able to control and maintain their own body temperature. This is due to the fact that the autonomic nervous system, on which the thermoregulation processes in the baby's body depend, is finally formed only by 12-18 months. That is why babies can have cold hands and feet all the time.
Parents need to monitor the condition of the crumbs, and if there are no other deviations, then you should not worry about cold hands and feet Also, due to the still undeveloped circulatory system, sometimes the hands and feet of the child can acquire a bluish tint. The mechanisms by which the blood flow is redistributed begin to work fully only by the age of one.
At this stage, parents should carefully monitor the condition of the infant. If he is active, sleeps well, is not capricious, he has an excellent appetite, then there is no particular reason to worry about cold extremities.
A newborn baby should be dressed warmly enough. However, you should not wrap up the baby too much. This will only slow down the formation of thermoregulation and can provoke the appearance of diaper rash and prickly heat.
Cold limbs in a child over a year old
In the absence of other deviations in the behavior and condition of the baby, who is a year or two old, the presence of cold hands or feet indicates that his thermoregulation is functioning well. In older children this symptom Along with additional manifestations, it indicates certain rather serious violations. Among them:
- Vegetovascular dystonia. It also features rapid heart rate and breathing, constriction of blood vessels, and surges in blood pressure. Such manifestations usually go away with age, but there are exceptions. In case of dystonia, it is better to consult with specialists.
- Weakened immune system At the same time, the child quickly gets tired, eats poorly, his skin becomes pale, he is susceptible to infections and is often sick.
- Anemia or anemia. With a lack of iron in the body, the baby has weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath, fainting and loss of appetite. Newborn babies can also face the problem of anemia. In them, it can be caused by irrational feeding, dysbiosis or prematurity.
- Hormonal abnormalities associated with disorders in the functioning of the thyroid gland. Indicators of such disorders are chronic constipation, thickening of the tongue, weakness, a hoarse voice, the baby quickly gets tired, becomes capricious, whiny and irritable, and it is difficult for him to swallow. In such a situation, an endocrinologist's consultation is required.
- Increased nervous irritability. With her, the baby is overly impressionable and whiny, sometimes he can stutter. It is necessary to show the child to a neurologist.
- Cold or inflammatory disease. In this case, other signs of illness join the cold hands and feet, for example, fever, runny nose and cough, problems with stools, skin rashes, poor appetite, moodiness, lethargy, and loss of strength.
- Deficiency of vitamins and nutrients. The child is characterized by lethargy, moodiness, poor weight gain and a lag in physical or neuropsychic development.
Various diseases can cause cold hands and feet in a child over a year old. In this case, it is better to consult a pediatrician Cold hands and feet with high temperatures
A fairly common situation is when the baby's hands, legs become cold and the skin turns pale against the background of an increase in body temperature. Why in this way the body can respond to thermometer readings above 38 degrees. This is due to the fact that blood circulation is disturbed, and it simply does not reach the limbs. In this situation, sweat begins to separate poorly and the baby's body is not able to control the process of thermoregulation. There is a disturbance in the balance between heat transfer and heat production. In the process of heat release, the vessels do not expand as they should, but narrow, which is why heat does not flow to the arms and legs.
If, with an increase in temperature, the limbs of the crumbs become ice cold, then it is not recommended to knock it down with the help of fast-acting antipyretic drugs. The first thing to do is to warm the baby, namely his limbs.
This can be done as follows:
- intensive rubbing for a warming effect;
- putting on cotton socks;
- plentiful warm drinks such as linden, raspberry, chamomile tea or cranberry juice and other compotes.
The second thing to do is to relieve the spasm. However, certain antispasmodics can provoke an allergic reaction in a child, therefore, only a doctor should determine which drug to use.
You can help warm your baby's legs and arms by rubbing How to help a baby with freezing and what should not be done?
Initially, it is worthwhile to understand why the child's limbs became cold, and only then to apply measures aimed at eliminating this problem. In case of freezing, the child must be warmed. The most effective and safe method of warming the baby, regardless of the type of feeding, is the so-called skin-to-skin method. It consists in laying out the baby on his bare stomach and chest. The heat of the mother's body will quickly warm the baby, he will eat up and fall asleep. In a cool room, this procedure should be carried out under cover of a blanket.
In a situation where it is warm at home, and the baby is most likely frozen, you should not immediately wrap him up from head to toe in warm clothes. It is enough to put on one more layer of clothes and follow the reaction of the child's body. Excessive desire to warm up can lead to overheating, and this condition is no less dangerous for a little person than freezing. According to the well-known pediatrician Komarovsky and other pediatricians, the optimal temperature at which the child will feel absolutely comfortable is between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius.
In addition, you should not resort to rubbing the child's limbs with a towel after coming from a walk in the cold. Better to rewarm them with your own warmth.
Do not dress your baby too warmly, as overheating is no less dangerous than freezing Ways to improve thermoregulation and blood circulation in the body
You can always prevent the problem of cold legs and arms, contributing to the formation of metabolic processes in the baby's body. To do this, you should:
- From the early age start hardening the toddler. To do this, it is recommended to leave the baby naked for 10-15 minutes a day. It should be dressed in loose and not tight clothes. In addition, an excellent way of hardening is water procedures... In warm water, the baby's body relaxes and rests. At the end of bathing, it is worth pouring water over the crumbs 1-2 degrees lower than the one in which he was swimming.
- Do gymnastics. To activate the lymph flow and improve blood circulation, it is enough to do with the baby such simple exercises as a bicycle, flexion and extension of the legs, clapping and finger fingering.
- Massage. A very effective and affordable method that any mother can learn in a couple of lessons.
- Monitor nutrition. It must include hot dishes without fail.
- Buy comfortable shoes. Tight shoes are always frozen feet.
It is important to note that metabolic processes in children are much faster than in adults. Their body generates more heat, and therefore when the parents are warm, their child is most likely hot. This is worth remembering when dressing a child!
The appearance of a baby in the family is associated with the beginning of a new life and the appearance of a mass of new worries, worries and joys for parents. Young mothers are sensitive to every change regarding the health and life of the baby, and are prone to panic with or without it. However, it also happens that the really important symptoms are overlooked. In this article, we will look at the possible reasons why a child has cold hands, whether it is worth worrying about it and how to get rid of this unpleasant phenomenon.
So, your child has constantly cold hands. Possible reasons this:
- vegetative-vascular dystonia;
- iron-deficiency anemia;
- diseases of the thyroid gland.
If the child always has cold hands, first of all, exclude the possibility of these diseases - show the child to the doctor. It is worth noting that cold hands in an infant are not at all an indicator of illness. In infants, thermoregulation does not work the same as in adults, so newborns often have cold fingers even in the heat. If at the same time the baby maintains a normal appetite and sleep, there is nothing to worry about. If the baby has become capricious and refuses to eat, consult a doctor.
At the age of 5-7 years, children often have cold extremities due to dystonia. There is nothing terrible in this, since during this period all systems of the body are actively developing, children are growing, and the vessels do not always have time to adapt. The same thing happens in adolescence. At this time, it is more important than ever to provide your child with a nutritious diet with enough vitamins and minerals.
If the syndrome of "cold extremities" continues to bother the child already at an older age, from about 12 to 17 years old, dystonia should not be allowed to flow. Most often, parents believe that stress and stress at school are the cause of such disorders, but this is partly true. Monitoring the child and timely treatment will help avoid such a problem as the appearance of vegetative crises (panic attacks). To the choice medicines with a vegetative crisis, extreme caution should be taken so as not to cause addiction in the child and the need for constant use in order to achieve relief from the condition.
Very often, cold extremities in children are the result of hypothermia. Elevated temperature body in a child, accompanied by cold hands, often with the flu and colds... After recovery, cold hands usually go away on their own.
What to do if a child has cold hands and feet?
Constantly cold hands and feet - this problem is almost every third woman on our planet. The hands and feet of such representatives of the weaker sex can remain cold even in the hottest weather, which causes significant inconvenience. People with cold hands are forced to warm themselves more carefully, wear warm gloves and woolen socks instead of silk stockings. However, even these tricks do not solve the problem of always cold hands and feet. Many scientists are trying to figure out this natural riddle, and today a clear answer has been formulated to the question "Why are there people who always have cold hands?"
Why are hands and feet cold?
Scientists have found that in women, thermoregulation in the body is weaker than in men. Nature made us such. However, there are other causes of cold hands:
Vegeto-vascular dystonia
This disease is widespread among modern people, and residents of large cities are more susceptible to this disease than residents of villages. This disease is accompanied by headache, absent-mindedness, heart palpitations, drowsiness, and vascular problems. With vegetative-vascular dystonia, the vessels of our body begin to randomly contract, which leads to poor blood supply to some organs and systems. It is very common for people with this condition to have persistent cold hands and feet.
Iron-deficiency anemia
Always cold hands. This term refers to a lack of iron in the human body. The lack of this important trace element leads to the fact that a person wastes heat much faster and freezes.
Low-calorie food
From constantly cold hands and feet, women often suffer, who exhaust themselves with all kinds of diets. Every day, a person should receive the required amount of fats, proteins, carbohydrates and other trace elements. Only with a full set can the body function fully. If the body constantly loses fat, then this can lead to various problems. In particular - to always cold hands and feet;
Diseases of the thyroid gland
In case of any disturbances in functioning, the thyroid gland produces a small amount of hormones, which is not enough for the whole body. Due to a lack of energy, not only the arms and legs are freezing, but the whole body as well. Persistently cold hands or fingers can be a sign of an abnormality in the body.
Cold hands of a child
Cold hands in a child may mean that he is very cold or sick. If cold hands and feet in a child are accompanied by a temperature, then this indicates a cold either. As a rule, the problem of cold hands and feet in a child goes away on its own with recovery. Cold hands in a baby are not a cause for alarm if the baby normally eats and develops. In newborns, heat exchange is significantly different from that of adults, therefore, even with extreme heat, babies have cold hands. However, if the baby has ceased to be active and his appetite has disappeared, then cold feet and hands can be a sign of illness. In this case, call a pediatrician.
Questions and answers on "Cold hands and feet"
Question: Our baby is already 2 months old. Our room is constantly maintained at a temperature of 21-22 degrees. But he has cold hands and feet all the time, although his nose is warm and he himself is warm too. Is there something wrong here?
Answer: The main thing that is not so here is the conviction of the broad masses of workers that the arms and legs should be lukewarm, erected into an axiom. Should not.
Question: If a person has constantly cold hands, is this a sign of some kind of disease?
Answer: Normally, if a person is dressed warmly and the ambient temperature is comfortable, then the limbs should be warm. Cold hands can occur with insufficient blood circulation. For example, with low blood pressure and vascular dystonia. You may have a slow metabolism.
Question: Dear doctors! The child is 2 years 4 months old. We go to the kindergarten. Yesterday they called from kindergarten - temperature 38.2. They immediately took me home. We put efferalgan. The child fell asleep. In the evening, the temperature was 37.3. Hot at night, but cold hands and feet. We put on woolen socks, we give cranberries, just some water, saline in the nose and otrivin at night (the nose worries). Why are the feet and hands cold at the general temperature? And what is the correct way to act in such a situation? Thanks.
Answer: This is the so-called "white" fever, when vascular spasm and cold extremities occur against the background of high temperature. All this interferes with heat release and temperature reduction. This is a more unpleasant and dangerous option than the usual "red" fever. In this case, physical methods of cooling cannot be used (rubdown, since they can increase vascular spasm). Put on the arms and legs of the child (socks), give antipyretic drugs at any temperature, give plenty of water to drink and ALWAYS give from 1/4 to 1/2 tablet of the burden, depending on age. With very high temperature and similar symptoms, call an ambulance for the doctor to make the child a lytic mixture.
Question: Why is the child's hands cold?
Answer: In principle, cold hands or feet of a small child are not a reason to worry at all. After all, in a small child, blood circulation is not so good, and therefore the limbs can be cold. If at the same time the child eats well, looks completely healthy, then there is no reason for concern.
Restless scientists, using trusted measuring instruments, found that thermoregulation in the female body is noticeably weaker than in the male. Therefore, women freeze harder and more often, but forever cold limbs is felt by almost every third woman on planet Earth.
Cold extremities - vegetative-vascular dystonia
But, in addition to such a focus of Mother Nature, there are other reasons for cold hands, for example,. In our time, this disease has spread throughout modern people, although rural residents are less susceptible to it than the inhabitants of megacities. With this disease occurs headache, it is accompanied by bouts of absent-mindedness, frequent pulse, drowsiness and erratic contraction of the body's vessels. This is fraught with a deficient blood supply to some organs and systems, as a result of which a constant cold is recorded in the hands and feet.
Causes of cold extremities
The reason for the freezing of hands and feet, as well as constantly cold extremities, can also be weakness, due to a lack of iron in the body. The lack of such an important trace element is the reason for the rapid dissipation of heat, followed by freezing.
Naturally, with a low-calorie diet, which is provoked by the necessary and unnecessary, women often suffer, feeling cold in their hands and feet. For normal functioning, the human body must receive its fats, proteins, carbohydrates and other trace elements in the required quantities. Their set must be complete.
Possible cause of cold extremities may appear. In case of dysfunction of the thyroid gland, an insufficient amount of hormones for the body is produced. There is not enough energy, the limbs located far from the main nodes of the body are freezing.
Cold extremities in children
There are two reasons for cold extremities in a child - he is either very cold or ill. If, in addition to cold extremities, the child also has a temperature, then it is a cold or flu. After recovery, the child's hands and feet will warm up.
Cold limbs in a nursing baby
Cold limbs in a nursing baby should not cause much concern if the baby eats appetizingly and develops normally. Heat transfer in newborns is very different from heat transfer in adults, and therefore a baby's hands can be cold even in extreme heat. But when the baby suddenly loses activity, and there are problems with appetite, cold extremities can be a symptom of the disease and the presence of a pediatrician in this case is simply necessary.
Cold extremities in adolescents
If the syndrome of "cold extremities" continues to bother the child already in an older age, from about 12 to adulthood, dystonia should not be allowed to flow. Most often, parents believe that stress and stress at school are the cause of such disorders, but this is partly true. Monitoring the child and timely treatment will help avoid such a problem as the appearance of vegetative crises (panic attacks). The choice of drugs for a vegetative crisis should be taken with extreme caution so as not to cause addiction in the child and the need for constant use in order to achieve relief from the condition. Attention is drawn to the domestic drug Eltatsin, which relieves excessive tension, helps to stabilize pressure, improve sleep, increases the body's energy potential and tissue resistance to oxygen starvation. Taking the drug does not deprive you of the desire to cope with the problem on your own.
How to keep cold extremities warm
Simple tips for avoiding the practice of cold hands and feet that everyone knows, but is constantly forgotten.
If you have a healthy heart and there are no contraindications, the bath is excellent and effective remedy for complete and long-term warming of the whole body. Putting your mobile phone on charge every time, think, maybe you are no worse than this soap dish, and it is worth charging yourself with energy for the whole day every morning? Then the problems of cold hands and feet will go away and be forgotten.
Monitor your diet and eat hot food at least once a day, no matter how it interferes with your lifestyle.
Drink ginger tea regularly, which has warming properties. It improves blood circulation remarkably.
And finally quit smoking. Each inhalation of poisoned smoke provokes a spasm of the body's vessels, blood circulation is disturbed, the limbs are freezing and it is simply impossible, sometimes, to hold the cigarette in hand.
Do not wear tight clothes and shoes, and even more so in the cold season. Squeezed skin does not at all contribute to proper heat transfer.
Section 1.01 Introduction
Very often, noticing that the child has cold hands and feet, caring mothers, and more often grandmothers, begin to wrap up the baby in "a hundred clothes", certainly wearing woolen socks. Let's figure it out a little, do you need to do this?
Section 1.02 Starting with newborn babies, newborn babies are not yet sufficiently mature in thermoregulation. It is believed that only by the age of 1.5 years it approaches that of an adult, and the baby should not be wrapped up. Many experts are inclined to believe that cold limbs of newborns are the norm. To determine if your baby is cold, touch his chest with the back of your hand. It is these temperatures that must match. And, of course, do not forget about the comfortable temperature in the room where the newborn is. If the baby is cold, put on a little warmer (it is believed that a child needs to wear one more item than an adult).
\u2063 Fig. 1 How to understand if the baby is cold?
If the mother is still worried about the cold limbs of the baby, it is necessary to assess his general condition, to observe the behavior.
You should consult a doctor if, in combination with cold extremities, symptoms such as are present:
1. skin rashes of various nature and localization;
2. rise in body temperature;
3. Constant screaming, crying, restlessness and lack of appetite.
Section 1.03 Why can there be cold extremities when the temperature rises?
This is due to a violation of heat transfer, leading to vasospasm. Sometimes babies have cold limbs at a high body temperature. In this case, you should not wipe the child and rapidly reduce the temperature with large doses of antipyretic drugs in order to avoid even greater vasoconstriction. The temperature must be brought down gradually with the use of vasodilators (no-shpy). It is advisable to consult a doctor!
\u2063Fig. 2 Increased body temperature as a cause of cold extremities.
Section 1.04 In older children, cold (but not ice-cold) limbs, in particular, legs, are a sign of good thermoregulation, that is, vasospasm is a device for reducing heat loss.
Cold extremities are not always a variant of the norm, if parents are concerned about this fact, it is necessary to notify the pediatrician, because in children over 5 years old, cold extremities can be a signal of such conditions as:
1. vegetative-vascular dystonia;
2. increased nervous irritability and, as a result, sweating of the extremities;
3. anemia;
4. disorders in the thyroid gland;
There is nothing wrong with the cold limbs of the child (in the absence of additional symptoms). But if you are confused by this fact, make the child's life more mobile, exercise with him, temper the baby (first of all, do not wrap it up), pay attention to the choice of clothes and shoes (it should not be cramped and restrictive of movement).