Search

\ud Maintaining an adequate body temperature is essential for human survival, yet infants are born with significant thermal challenges. Thermoregulation of infants is achieved through both physiological processes and through the thermal care behaviour of their caregivers. Little attention has been paid to infant thermal care beliefs and how thermal care is provided in practice. Thermal care beliefs vary\ud across the world. Humoral beliefs that prescribe thermal balance to maintain health are extremely common globally, but less so in the UK.\ud \ud Methods\ud This study primarily employed a mixed methods approach, using semi-structured and structured questions in interviews to explore ethnic differences in infant thermal care beliefs and practices of white British and South Asian mothers in the Bradford District, West Yorkshire, England.\ud \ud Results\ud White British mothers were found to use significantly more bedding in winter for their infants than South Asian mothers (Man Whitney U p=