Warmer weather means big summer fun for children, but rising temperatures can also lead to heat exhaustion in children if the proper precautions are not taken. Heat exhaustion is a concern for everyone in the summertime, but young children have an increased risk of heat illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
To keep your children safe this summer, consider the following tips to help prevent heat exhaustion:
1. Avoid outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day. Try to plan your children’s outdoor activities for the morning or evening when the temperature is not as high. Sometimes it will be hot all day, but summer afternoons can sometimes be unbearable.
3. Regularly give your child fluids to prevent heat exhaustion. According to Texas Children’s Hospital, children should have a drink every 20 minutes when they are playing outside (half a glass for children under five, and one glass for children over five).
4. Choose the right fluids to help your child avoid heat exhaustion. Sodas and sugary drinks are not good options for staying hydrated and cooled down on a hot day. Water or sports drinks are better options.
5. Play in the shade. It’s best for children’s outdoor activities to take place in shady areas. If you won’t be in a shady area, at least take frequent breaks in the shade.
6. Cool down with water. To help your child avoid heat exhaustion, take frequent breaks to wet down with water. Sprinklers, pools, handheld water fans, or water spray bottles are good ways to cool off and help reduce the risk of heat exhaustion.
7. Consider putting a hat on your child. According to the CDC, a wide-brimmed hat helps to keep the body cooler and reduces sun exposure.
8. If it is very hot and humid, consider sticking with indoor activities. Days that are very hot and humid are not only miserable, but they put your child at a higher risk of heat exhaustion. On these days, try to entertain yourselves with indoor activities where air conditioning is available.
9. Break up outdoor activities. It’s best not to plan long stretches of outdoor time on hot summer days. Try breaking up your child’s outdoor playtime into smaller segments to help prevent heat exhaustion.
10. Never, ever, leave a child unattended in a closed vehicle. It should go without saying, but children die of heat illness every year after being left in a hot vehicle. Never do this for any amount of time. Cars get very hot very quickly.
Everyone has fond memories from their childhood of hot summer days spent participating in outdoor activities. Take the proper precautions, and your children can create their own memories without suffering heat exhaustion.
Sources:
CDC Extreme Heat. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fact sheet: Heat Exhaustion in Children. Texas Children’s Hospital.
