Catch a Chill

Feel like you're constantly reminding your kids to put on a coat or hat? Well, don't stop.

It seems kids could actually get sick if they don't dress for the cold weather. When 90 students chilled themselves by immersing their feet in cold water for 20 minutes as part of a small study, 13 of them suffered from a cold 4 or 5 days later. Only 5 of the 90 students in the control group came down with a cold. More research is needed to confirm the findings, but you can play it safe by bundling up your kids.

Students who chilled their feet for 20 minutes were more likely to not only experience a cold but also report more cold symptoms 1 to 4 days after the study, compared to the students who did not chill their feet. Study participants who caught a cold were also more likely to report that they came down with a greater number of colds each year than participants who did not catch a cold. Researchers speculate that the deep chill may have caused symptoms to manifest in people who were already infected with a cold virus but were relatively symptom-free.

As winter weather creeps in, keep children warm by dressing them in tightly woven undergarments that fit close to the body and layering their clothing. Waterproof shoes and extra socks can keep feet warm and dry in outdoor winter weather. And wearing a knit cap outside will help keep your child warm by reducing heat loss from his head.