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Preventing Heat Exhaustion
When heat and humidity rise, children are at risk for heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion. If not treated quickly, they can lead to heatstroke, which requires immediate medical care. “Dehydration causes a child’s temperature to climb more rapidly [than it does an adult’s],” warns Aaron Scholer, M.D., a pediatrician at Central Maine Pediatrics, “so it is important for children to drink every 20 minutes in hot weather.” Here, some additional precautions to take when sending your kids out for some fun in the sun.
- Encourage your kids to wear loose, light-colored clothing and to seek shade or go inside immediately if they feel overheated.
- Teach your children to drink even when they are not thirsty. “Sports drinks should be offered to children in extreme heat conditions,” Dr. Scholer says, “children will drink more fluids. In less extreme conditions, water is adequate and generally preferred.”
- Be sure to notify coaches, counselors, teachers and other caregivers of any special conditions. “Children with a medical illness such as diabetes or obesity are more susceptible to heat-related illness and should be monitored more closely,” Dr. Scholer says.
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