Middle Georgia nurse shares summer heat safety tips for children
Sikes says many children experience heat exhaustion, which means the body has exceeded its ability to cool itself.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – With summer break underway, kids across Middle Georgia are enjoying time outside, but health officials warn that the summer heat can quickly become dangerous without proper precautions.
Houston County Health Department Nurse Manager Christina Sikes says letting kids play outdoors during morning hours and after dinner can keep them from overheating. She also recommends dressing kids in all-natural fabrics.
“Shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, bathing suits, any of those things, but you do also want to be careful of sun exposure, so make sure they’re using sunscreen if their skin is exposed,” Sikes said.
Sikes says many children experience heat exhaustion, which means the body has exceeded its ability to cool itself.
“Really getting tired, sweating a whole lot or failure to sweat at all,” she said. “Vomiting, mental changes, headaches, even when you’re no longer thirsty, or going from thirsty to no thirst. And just feeling extremely tired and not well, those are all signs that you need to intervene right away.”
She shared some tips on how to keep your child safe and hydrated.
“Water,” she said. “You can replace some with Gatorades or things with electrolytes in it. But generally, a good healthy diet will take care of the electrolytes. But generally staying between 8 oz. to 48 oz. of water, but for a child around 6 to 8 oz. per hour.”
Sikes also advises parents not to leave children in cars and to start the car to cool it off before putting them in it.
“Children are very susceptible to heat so, really making a plan for how they’re going to stay cool during the day is very important, but the critical piece is checking to make sure they’re not in those cars,” she said.
Sikes says the CDC website has a map for parents to locate where the heat will be at its highest, to protect them from sunburns, heat strokes and dehydration.
