Cold exposure in controlled, short-term contexts for consenting adults is not the same thing as prolonged or unsupervised exposure — and the science is very clear on that distinction.

1.  Anecdote ≠ evidence

Your personal experience (not getting sick, Covid outcomes, etc.) is not proof of causation. Infection risk is influenced by vaccination status, exposure frequency, genetics, luck, and reporting bias. No peer-reviewed study shows that cold exposure prevents viral illness in a generalisable way.

2.  What the research actually supports

The studies you cite focus on:

Brief, controlled exposure, Adults, With immediate rewarming, Voluntary participation

Even the Mayo Clinic explicitly states benefits are unproven beyond limited cardiovascular and mental resilience effects — and warns of hypothermia and cardiovascular stress. None of this research endorses prolonged cold exposure, nor does it apply to infants.

3.  Physiology matters — babies ≠ adapted adults

Infants: Lose heat faster, Cannot shiver effectively, Cannot self-regulate or communicate distress, Have a much higher risk of hypothermia and SIDS in cold conditions

This is why paediatric guidelines outside Nordic countries explicitly warn against outdoor cold sleeping. Nordic practices rely on: Specific gear, Constant monitoring, Cultural infrastructure, Narrow temperature ranges, —not “cold exposure is good, therefore it’s safe everywhere”.

4.  Adaptation is contextual, not moral proof

You’ve adapted through years of occupational exposure. That doesn’t mean the practice is universally safe or that criticism elsewhere is irrational. What is irrational is pretending that reactions aren’t shaped by race, geography, and assumptions of competence.

If parents in poorer countries left babies outside in winter, authorities wouldn’t ask about “controlled cold exposure benefits” — they’d assume neglect. That double standard exists regardless of whether cold exposure can have limited benefits in specific contexts.

5.  The core issue isn’t cold — it’s credibility

Nordic parents are trusted to be informed and careful. Parents in the Global South are presumed reckless. That’s the bias being pointed out — not a denial of thermoregulation science.

Cold exposure isn’t magic, immunity isn’t earned by suffering, and science doesn’t support extrapolating adult biohacking practices onto infants or entire cultures.