is 90 degrees or above. Make sure your child stays hydrated with plenty of fl uids. Children should have a water bottle at all times and should be drinking even if they don’t feel thirsty. Heat exhaustion occurs when a child is exposed to high temperatures and becomes dehydrated. Symptoms of heat exhaustion are: confu- sion, sweating, dizziness, headache, ex- treme thirst, nausea, muscle cramps and weakness. When any of these symptoms occur, a child should be taken out of the sun immediately and brought to a cool place, either in air conditioning or in the shade. Remove extra clothing and sports pads. Children should drink cold water or a sports drink with salt and sugar and be cooled with fans or cool towels. While they recover from heat exhaus-
tion, you should monitor them closely for symptoms of heatstroke. Heatstroke can occur quickly once your child is experiencing heat exhaustion, and it is an emergency! If you notice that your child is getting more confused or stops respond- ing to you, complains of a severe head- ache, is no longer sweating and has red, hot, dry skin, call 911 immediately and soak your child with cool water constantly until help arrives. Do not offer anything to drink unless your child is awake and acting normally.
Sunburn Red, warm, painful skin is the hallmark sign of sunburn. Although you may notice that your child’s skin looks pink, you may not see the full sunburn until 6 to 12 hours after exposure. You can treat pink or reddened skin that is warm and painful with cool compresses. If your child looks or acts sick, complains of a headache or has fever, chills or blisters, you should
Ready, Set, Grow
Consider reapplying sunscreen every one to two hours depending on your child’s level of activity, swimming or sweating
contact your provider. Prevention of sunburn in children is very important to lower their chance of developing cancer later in life. It is recommended that babies under the age of six months never be placed in direct sunlight. They should be fully covered in light clothing with a wide-brimmed hat to protect the face and head. Older infants and children should have sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 applied to all exposed areas, including lips, at least 30 minutes before going out. Frequent reapplication of sunscreen is just as important as the SPF factor. Consider reapplying sunscreen every one to two hours depending on your child’s level of activity, swimming and sweating. Remember: You and your family can
have a fun and safe summer by following the above tips. Enjoy!
Pamela Mapstone, DNP, CPNP, RN, is a PNP in Rochester, NY. She teaches pediatric nursing at the Wegmans School of Nursing at St. John Fisher College and practices in the community.
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