While summer is a great opportunity to convince children to play outside, caregivers should also keep in mind health and safety tips for spending long periods of time in the sun, especially during a heatwave.

Learn More

When the heat index is above 90 degrees – as it has been recently in the Pittsburgh region – it poses a significant health risk for children, Kidsburgh wrote in a recent post on heat and sun safety.

Children are much more susceptible to heat illness than adults as they have more trouble regulating body temperature. As a result, extreme heat can cause them to experience dehydration, heat exhaustion, or heat cramps or stroke. Some of these ailments can become medical emergencies.

According to Kidsburgh, approximately 9,000 high school athletes are treated for heat illness every year around the nation.

In a recent interview with Kidsburgh, Dr. Joe Aracri, chairman of the AHN Pediatric Institute, provided advice for parents of young children about sun and heat safety. His tips included:

• Use sunscreen, but for children under the age of six months it should not be used all over the body, but rather just the hands, feet, and face. 
• For the areas not covered with sunscreen, cover the baby’s body with lightweight clothing and always use a hat.
• Keep babies in the shade as much as possible to avoid too much sun exposure.
• Put on sunscreen a half-hour before going into the sun so it can absorb and be effective once you go outside. Then, reapply it every two hours and after swimming.
• Keep children well hydrated with cool water and other hydrating beverages.
• Keep children indoors in a cool environment. If air conditioning isn’t available, have a fan circulating the air where a child is sleeping or playing.
• For asthmatic children, parents should look out for such signs as coughing, wheezing, and shortness or breath, and ensure that inhalers and allergy medications are immediately available.
• If a child is having trouble breathing, go to your local emergency department.

To read the entire article, visit Kidsburgh’s website.