Infrared Heat Lamps for Baby Changing Table

Total reading time: 6 min

Contents:

• Application of infrared heater lamps
• Portable devices for bathroom, etc.
• Is infrared radiation bad for babies?
• Long-wavelength heater lamps
• General safety instructions
• Purchase criteria
• Summary

A newborn needs to learn to balance out body heat. Within the first nine to twelve months infants are unable to generate body heat by shivering and goosebumps like an adult. Due to their large skin surface (in comparison to their body volume) they are quick to lose temperature. Loss of heat and cold outdoor temperatures can lead to hypothermia, stress and promote diseases.

The following shall be an overview of baby changing heater lamps. Before making a purchase, get informed about infrared radiation (IR) (short, medium, long wavelength) and never opt for the cheapest heaters available. Hospital heater lamps in incubators are a good comparison. Those appliances adhere to IEC 60601-2-21 standards. The baby changing table heaters of various brands correspond to this medical standard or are otherwise rated for use with infants.

Application of infrared heater lamps

The ideal room temperature for an undressed baby is between 23-25°C, the bathwater should be between 35 and 37°C warm. Later on, once the baby clothed and wrapped in blankets, 18°C in the bedroom are sufficient. The skin temperature should always be kept at 36.5°C. Newborns are not able to regulate body heat themselves. The baby can only scream or kick in the air to indicate unpleasant cold or heat. The parents are responsible for keeping the temperature in check and dressing the baby accordingly.

After the bath the baby is wet, naked and unprotected and wants to be toweled off as quickly as possible. Most bathrooms are about 20 to 23°C warm. In some cases there is not enough space to put the baby changing table up in the bathroom, so it is often put up in the baby’s own room or the parents’ bedroom (ca. 18 to 20°C).

Toweling and grooming a newborn can be very time and labour intensive for new parents. The temperature difference means stress for the child and it will loudly let everyone one. The bathroom and changing place should be preheated for that reason. A regular heating system warms up the entire room air which can take a long time. Some radiators are not even big enough to heat the whole room. In that case you should at least make sure that the towels and socks are warmed up.

Support your old heating system: An infrared heater delivers immediate results regardless of draughty windows and gaps. Thanks to its short operating time (about 10 min when changing diapers) the power consumption is kept at an agreeable level and uses less energy than would be needed to warm up the entire room with a radiator.

Benefits of changing table heater lamps:
✔ Immediate heat after switching the device on
✔ Warmth independently from draught
✔ 3 to 7m² coverage
✔ Energy-saving, requires no heating-up time
✔ No air movement or raising dust
✔ Portable infrared lamps available, e.g. for guest bathroom
✔ Several heat intensities without any noise

Application:
Above the changing table
On the wall or ceiling

Portable devices for bathroom, etc.

A baby grows incredibly fast and soon will not need diapers anymore, but what happens to the heat source? Some baby changing table heater lamps are not fit for any other application due to their output of about 600 Watts and automatic switch-off feature that is activated after some minutes. However, there are also models with longer intervals as well as articles constructed for continuous use (depending on the manufacturer). We tend to advise against continuous at night in a bedroom because of the power consumption. Instead, wrap your child in warm blankets and add a hot-water bottle if needed.

 

Infrared heaters with several heat settings or individually controlled tubes can also be used for other purposes including:

Portable, apply where needed (bathroom, bedroom, nursery)
Home
Sauna, swimming pool
Guest bathroom, small bathroom (only devices with liquid ingress protection)
Massage, spa
Garden shed, mountain hut
Garage, balcony, patio
 

Look out for the type of lamp in a heater if the appliance is not constructed solely for the purpose of being used on top of baby changing tables – this situation calls for lamps with a medium-wavelength (IR-B) and long-wavelength (IR-C) radiation. Short-wavelength (IR-A) radiation is not suitable for baby skin from our point of view.

Is infrared radiation bad for babies?

What makes sunlight so dangerous for the skin is the naturally occurring IR-A radiation. This type of radiation makes up for about 31% in a concentrated light beam. Would you expose your child to direct solar radiation without any protection? Then try to avoid IR-A heater lamps.

Short-wavelength IR-A penetrate the skin by as much as 4 to 5mm. That means adults too should be careful with IR-A lamps. They might offer immediate and intense heat, but they are also connected to skin ageing, burns (sunburn) and skin damage. In our opinion, IR-A heater lamps are not suitable for soft baby skin. IR-A radiation is also dangerous for the retina and while we grown-ups may know not to look directly into the lamp, a curious child will definitely want to explore. Powerful short-wavelength infrared radiation is more suitable for other areas such as application in street cafés, draughty outdoor facilities and construction drying.
 

Infrared radiation is divided into three wavelengths:

IR-A, short-wavelength, immediate warmth, deeply penetrates the skin
IR-B, mid-wavelength, penetrates the skin up to 2mm but doesn’t reach the hypoderm
IR-C, long-wavelength, short heating-up period, no penetration of the skin, warms up the air (blacklight, ceramic heaters)

⮩ Types of heaters
⮩ Which lamps are available?

Long-wavelength heater lamps

Whether or not infrared heaters should be used for children cannot be answered so easily. Each technology has its pros and cons. Generally, heater lamps are only required once temperatures hit 16°C or below as it happens in cold winters or draughty buildings. It also depends on the time spent on the changing table, will it take only 2 minutes or will it be about 20 minutes with some playing or a massage? The ambient temperature also needs to be considered, harsh cold can be even more dangerous than just a few minutes under the heater. Invest in an IR-C or IR-B heater, they are also used in hospital incubators for premature babies.

Hospital incubators use IR heater lamps with 500 to 650 Watts. The devices comply with standards for medical products (IEC 60601-2-21), the heater element is made from ceramic with medium-wavelength and long-wavelength radiation (IR-B and IR-C). This gentle infrared radiation is absorbed well by the skin and often used for premature infants or sick babies. Infants simply need enough warmth, particularly babies born in colder seasons.

The short pre-heating phase of these devices are seen as a drawback by some parents. IR-C heaters also emit warmth to the air. This warm air ascends due to its low density and reaches the room ceiling instead of just staying around the changing table. That means less heat reaches the baby that it would be the case with an IR-A heater lamp. However, long-wavelength technology is much more gentle on the skin, there is no risk of burns or skin ageing. Particularly when it comes to babies it is important to opt for sustainability and foresight rather than IR-A lamps.