“The extremes of age, the young and the elderly, are most at risk for heat-related illnesses,” says Samuel J. Prater, MD., Medical Director of Emergency Services for Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “The key is prevention – staying hydrated and having access to shade and air conditioning – is critical to safety and health in warmer climates.”
Dr. Prater shares his recommendations and advice in the Q&A below for summer safety tips related to heat-related illnesses.
What steps should families take to ensure kids stay healthy and safe in hotter temperatures?
To protect children from the heat, it is essential to stay hydrated and ensure kids have access to places with shade (or air conditioning, if needed). Make sure kids are taking breaks in the shade or in the air conditioning and are not outside in the sun for extended periods of time. Observe and check in with children to make sure they are drinking water. For adults, the same guidelines apply in addition to limiting alcoholic consumption, which increases the chances of becoming dehydrated.
What should parents do if they think their child is experiencing a heat-related illness or seems overheated?
If you notice that your child is experiencing a reaction or apparent illness in response to heat, get them out of the heat and remove any type of hat and clothes on their upper body, as quickly as possible. Since adults and children dissipate a lot of heat on their heads, it works well if you spray water on the child’s head and get him or her under a fan quickly to lower the body temperature.
When should kids be taken to the ER for heat-related illnesses?
If the child has lost consciousness, the family should seek care at a pediatric emergency room as soon as possible. If the child shows any change in their mental status – if he or she is lethargic or abnormally confused, not acting like themselves or making sense, and/or hallucinating – the child must be taken to a pediatric emergency room as soon as possible and the parents should continue trying to cool the child down.
It is never, under any circumstances, okay to leave a child in an unattended car, even if the windows are down. A child’s body warms 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s, making it extremely dangerous for a child to be or play in an unattended car. (Source)
Do you have any tips for traveling in a car with infants or young children?
Avoid distractions while driving, and make sure to check the back seat before leaving a car unattended. One habit that can help ensure the safety of children traveling in cars is to place something you will be sure to take with you when you reach your destination – a cell phone, bag, briefcase, purse, etc. – in the back seat near a child so that you are reminded to check the back seat when you arrive at your destination.
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