As practicing pediatricians in New Hampshire and Nebraska, respectively, Dr. Jennifer Shu and Dr. Laura Jana often offer advice on bundling babies during cooler weather. They also know a great deal about keeping kids warm because they lived in Colorado.

"Laura and I both lived in Denver when we started our book," says Dr. Shu, director of the Normal Newborn Nursery at Children's Hospital at Dartmouth and editor of the American Academy of Pediatrics book, Baby and Child Health (DK Adult, 2004). "We are sensitive to the issues surrounding high altitude or quick ascent, which is good information to know for parents who plan to travel to the mountains this winter."

Dr. Shu and Dr. Jana not only know can give advice on bundling babies and dressing children for colder climates and higher elevations because they authored Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2005), but because they have first-hand experience. Dr. Shu is the mother of a 4-year-old son and Dr. Jana has three kids and is co-owner and operator of the accredited Primrose School of Legacy in Omaha, Neb. They have consulted with hundreds of parents who share concerns over how to best dress their babies in the winter months.

"It's normal and understandable for parents to want to make sure they do what's best and safest for their baby in any type of weather," Dr. Shu says. "Overall, parents do a great job with bundling, but the most important things they should avoid are the bulky layers under car seat straps and allowing babies to sleep with soft or fluffy items (i.e., lots of bundling in bed)."

When indoors, the doctors suggest parents keep the house at a comfortable temperature (usually around 68 to 72 degrees F) and use thin layers, socks, footed pajamas and a hat if the baby is under 1 month. They say babies should wear about the same amount of clothing as adults or only about one layer more.

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