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Baby Hats – 5 Reasons People Put Hats on Babies

By Taylor James

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Updated on

Nothing is more precious than a newborn baby; they are born full of promise and love. The world has another chance, and that bundle of joy needs love, protection, and care.

This love and protection are why the adorable knit infant hat is often the first piece of clothing a newborn experience.

People put hats on babies because newborns cannot regulate their body temperature, born into a cold world after living in a safe, warm womb for nine months.

Babies also lose heat from their heads and are sensitive to UV rays. Hats limit this heat loss and protect the skin from harmful sun rays.

baby wearing a beanie hat
@debb_alba via Twenty20

Comfort

When the baby is first born, its new environment is a shock. It has been in a warm and moist womb for nine months, suddenly hitting a dry, airy, cold room.

Like all humans, babies lose most of their body heat through their heads, so hospitals address this issue by providing those cute little knit hats. 

Once the baby is home, hats become a matter of parent preference, and many parents remain loyal to having their infants wear hats for many of the following reasons. 

Regulate Body Temperature

According to the Cleveland Health Clinic, a baby’s body can lose up to one-third of its body heat through its head, so hats are crucial during cold weather.

Babies cannot regulate their body temperature even in warm environments as adults can (like sweating or shivering). They are often cold, even when adults in the room may be comfortable. So, many people put hats on their babies to help them stay warm. 

Protection From the Sun

Walk on any beach, and one of the cutest sights you’ll see is the babies in their sunbonnets. These hats come in a variety of styles and have a variety of SPF protection levels.

For example, this popular hat on Amazon has a 50 SPF, which is essential because many babies have fine hair that offers their heads little protection from the sun.

Eye Protection

Babies’ bodies offer little eye protection from the sun. They can naturally squint when there is a bright light, but they cannot shield their eyes from that light. They also are not good at keeping things on their faces.

So, while sunglasses, such as these Infant Sunglasses on Amazon, are available, adding a hat can help keep them in place and allow the baby to see its surroundings when lighting conditions are harsh.

Fashion Statement

Let’s face it, we love our baby’s bald head, but we also like the personality hats bring to the infants while they are working towards growing their beautiful, curly locks.

Check out these popular hats on Amazon.

Conclusion

Whether the concern is to help babies maintain their body heat or offer protection from the sun, there are many reasons to keep infants in hats after leaving the hospital.

About Taylor James

As Philip Treacy once said, “How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about.” And on that note, I hope you enjoy your hats and find the site useful. Learn more about Hat Realm's Editorial Process.