The 'constant fear' of living in an overheated home with a baby

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. The 'constant fear' of living in an overheated home with a babyImage source, Jackson BylettImage caption, Jackson Bylett lives in an eighth-floor flat in east London with his partner and their five-month-old babyByMeghan Owen, London work and money correspondent and Lauren Stanley, Reporting fromLondonPublished3 hours ago"I don't think we'd make a decision to have another child whilst we're still living in London in this flat. "It's no way to raise a child when you're in constant fear at the consequences of them sleeping in an unsafe environment. "Jackson Bylett lives in an "unbearably hot" eighth-floor new-build flat in Newham, east London, with his partner and their five-month-old baby.

The temperature inside has topped 31C. The NHS recommends, external babies should sleep in temperatures of 16-20C. Bylett says he and his wife spent a long time talking about having a child, but explains that "naively we didn't have much of a conversation about how climate change would impact that and how hotter summers are going to impact how we parent".

The Details

As leaseholders, they don't have permission to make any external changes to the building despite the fact the flat is designed with floor-to-ceiling windows. Image source, Jackson BylettImage caption, Bylett recorded a temperature of 31. 2C in his baby's room on TuesdayBylett and his wife have had to make changes, including cooking all their meals in advance of heatwaves to avoid using hot appliances in high temperatures and avoiding putting the washing machine on.

"It's really difficult knowing this year may be the coolest summer our daughter may ever experience," he says. "All the information online is telling you how dangerous it is for babies to overheat and how they can't control their own body temperature... and we're sat in our flat as the heat rises and there is nothing we can do about it.

"'Serious impact'The family are not alone in their struggles. The National Housing Federation (NHF), the trade body for housing associations, warns more must be done to adapt homes to extreme heat and to better protect babies and young children, says it's becoming "impossible" for parents to ensure their homes are comfortable. New analysis of government data, external by the NHF and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) suggests more than 70,000 babies in England - about one in six - are living in homes that get uncomfortably hot, and 1.

What Experts Say

59 million children overall. Alistair Smythe, director of policy and research at the NHF, said extreme heat "is having a serious impact on family life". The organisations highlight the health risks for children under five, particularly babies, who are less able to regulate their body temperature and manage dehydration.

Overheating can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, with parents advised to keep rooms between 16 and 20C.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.