Summer is a time for outdoor play, family vacations, and sometimes, adventure. But, while the kids enjoy their summer vacation, rising temperatures bring their share of health risks. It takes a paediatrician to know the potential harm of the sun’s rays on vulnerable children, and to advise parents how to mitigate symptoms. Here’s a list of the potential ill-effects of summer on children and what parents can do to keep them safe.
Dehydration & Heatstroke
Excessive sweating causes dehydration because the body loses more water than it takes in. Children lose vital body fluids through sweating; their immature thermoregulatory systems make them less effective at dissipating heat and cooling down.
Symptoms include dry mouth and lips, dark yellow urine or infrequent urination, tiredness or dizziness, and crying without tears. Encourage children to drink plenty of water throughout the day. The ideal water intake varies by age, gender, activity levels, and general climate; guidelines range from 1 litre for ages 1 to 3 and 2.6 litres for teenagers between 14 and 18.
Make sure you supplement their diet with hydrating foods like buttermilk, coconut water, watermelon, oranges, cucumbers, soups. Lemonade and fruit juices.
Heatstroke and heat exhaustion
High temperatures can also lead to heatstroke and sheer exhaustion due to the body overheating. Your child has heatstroke when body temperature 39.5o C or higher. Other symptoms are nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, and rapid heartbeats.
Children with heatstroke should be immediately moved to a cool place. Excess clothing should be removed. Give them small sips of water. Apply a wet cloth on the forehead, or even the body. Seek medical health if the symptoms persist or get severe.
Prevent children from playing out of doors when the sun is at its highest between 12 pm and 4 pm. Ensure they wear light clothes, which are breathable.
Food poisoning and stomach infections
Hot weather speeds up growth of bacteria in food, increasing the chances of food poisoning, gastrointestinal infections, stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting; newborn babies can suffer from listeriosis.
Feed your children fresh, home-cooked food. Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before cooking and eating. Refrigerate perishable food items or store them in coolers. Teach children how to wash hands before and after meals
Picnics, outdoor camps and barbecues are popular summer activities. When carrying perishable food, use ice packs in insulated coolers to maintain a safe temperature. Ensure that grilled foods are thoroughly cooked; use a food thermometer to check internal temperatures.
Sunburn and Skin Damage
Prolonged exposure to the sun’s rays can cause sunburn. It can also cause long-term skin damage, increasing the risk of skin cancer in adulthood. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outside, and reapply every two hours.
Popular sunscreens include, Neutrogena, Aveena, and SebaMed for babies, and Cetaphil for older children. Banana Boat Kids is a sports sunscreen spray. All have SPFs of 50 to shield against the sun’s UVA and UVB rays.
Make your kids take showers twice a day and apply talcum powder to absorb sweat. Dress them in lightweight clothing with long-sleeves. If possible, also cover their heads with caps or hats.
Waterborne Illnesses
We all love to splash around in summer, especially children. Swimming pools and lakes can expose children to viruses, bacteria and parasites. These microorganisms can cause infections such as stomach bugs, swimmer’s ear, and again, skin rashes.
Ensure children play or swim in clean water bodies like well-maintained pools. Strongly advise them to avoid swallowing the water. Use swimming pools, which are supervised by a life guard, or keep a personal close watch on young swimmers.
Afterwards, ensure they take a shower with soap and clean water to remove lingering bacteria and chemicals. Dry ears properly to prevent infections. If they start displaying symptoms of illness like ear pain, diarrhea, promptly seek medical advice.
Ice Creams and Cold Drink
Kids love ice creams and cold drinks, particularly in summer, but too much of them can affect their health. Ice creams and aerated drinks have high contents of sugar and artificial additives. This makes children especially vulnerable to sore throat and stomach problems.
Parents should encourage healthy alternatives like smoothies with yoghurt, cool coconut water, and fresh fruit juices A great option is to make fruit popsicles with blended fruits and honey. These ingredients also provide needed vitamins and minerals.
Other treats could be flavoured water with mint, berries or cucumber. This also helps with hydration. Chia seed drinks with lemon and honey are good sources of fiber and antioxidants.
Nosebleed
If your child gets nosebleed just stay calm. Make the child lean forward slightly. Gently pinch the soft part of the nose, just below the bony ridge, with your thumb and index finger for 5 to 10 mins without releasing.
Then, apply an ice pack or a damp cloth to the bony ridge to stem the bleeding. Do not tilt the child’s head backwards or the blood may seep into the throat. Once the bleeding stops, shift the child to a cool environment, and ask him/her to not blow or pick the nose for a few hours. A little petroleum jelly inside the nostrils will keep them moist. Give the child plenty of water and fluids.
See the doctor at once if the bleeding does not stop despite applying pressure for 15-20 minutes, or if the nosebleeds are frequent or happen without apparent reason, or if the child feels dizzy, weak or blood loss is extensive.