Longer days, lighter nights, and more
um, worrying. Yup, it's summer. And before your kids race out the
door, you're doing all you can to protect them from sun, bugs...head
injuries. There's something about this season that makes kids run
faster and play harder. And like everything else parents carefully do
to protect their kids - cooking healthy kid food, hiring the right babysitters, buckling them into car seats (or shouting out seat belt reminders), summer takes preparation, too. Here's how you and your summer babysitter or nanny can help keep kids safe this season - without feeling like Summer Cop, monitoring the fun right out of their vacation.
Be Sun Savvy.
Here's a summer-bummer: a person's sunlight exposure during childhood
and adolescence is generally considered to increase the risk of
melanoma. We've heard it all before, but make sure your family and
caregivers all have the same sun-strategy. Vilma Cokkinides, PhD,
Strategic Director, Risk Factor Surveillance for the American Cancer Society, helped come up with these.
Apply early and repeat. For
kids six months and older (as well as adults), sunscreens with a Sun
Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or greater reduce the intensity of UVRs
that cause sunburns. Apply liberally 15 to 30 minutes before sun
exposure so it can absorb into the skin and decrease the likelihood that
it will be washed off. Then reapply every two hours and after kids
swim, sweat, or dry off with a towel. For most users, proper
application and reapplication are more important factors than using a
product with a higher SPF.
Cover. Dress
kids in protective clothing and hats. Clothing can be an excellent
barrier of ultraviolet rays. Many light-weight sun-protective styles
cover the neck, elbows, and knees.
Keep infants out of the sun. Babies younger than 6 months should be kept out of direct sunlight, dressed in cool, comfortable clothing and wearing hats with brims. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says sunscreen may be used on infants younger than 6 months on small areas of skin if adequate clothing and shade are not available.
Keep infants out of the sun. Babies younger than 6 months should be kept out of direct sunlight, dressed in cool, comfortable clothing and wearing hats with brims. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says sunscreen may be used on infants younger than 6 months on small areas of skin if adequate clothing and shade are not available.
Plan early morning play.
For kids beyond that baby stage, Cokkinides advises parents to plan
children's outdoor activities to avoid peak-sun hours (10 a.m. to 4
p.m.) as much as possible. Sound impossible for your active kids? Make
sure you can get a break from the sun, when needed.
Beware of shade.
Many think sitting in the shade is a simple way out. Shade provides
relief from heat but offers parents a false sense of security about UVR
protection. People can still sunburn in shade, because light is
scattered and reflected. A fair-skinned person sitting under a tree can
burn in less than an hour.
Check the weather.
Check the ultra-violet (UV) index (on a site like Weather.com) when
planning outdoor activities; it predicts the intensity of UV light for
the following day based on the sun's position, cloud movements,
altitude, ozone data, and other factors. Higher UV index numbers
predict more intense UV light during midday of the following day.
Splash Safely (and Other Water Rules)
Drowning happens quickly and quietly - not with a lot of splashing, reminds Emily Samuel, Water Safety Program Manager for Safe Kids Worldwide,
a nonprofit organization solely dedicated to eliminating preventable
childhood injuries. In fact, drowning is the leading cause of
unintentional injury deaths in kids one to four years old.
Stay off cell phones.
Don't even allow yourself to get distracted when your kids are in the
water. And yes, chatting with other parents is a common distraction as
well.
Know your skills. Adults and caregivers
should refresh their Infant Child CPR certification each year,
especially before summer, if there is a pool involved. Kids should
never swim alone, and having adults or caregivers know water safety
skills is smart.
Put a guard up. Even kiddie
pools in backyards should be drained after use, urges Samuel. For
houses that have swimming pools, fencing should be at least four feet
high and surround the pool on all sides, with doors that close and lock
by themselves. Pool supply companies may offer options for alarms and
other safety systems. Remember to never fully rely on an alarm or a
fence. You must also train your kids to never go near the pool without
an adult.
Educate yourself. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a pool safety website where families can find out how to keep kids safer at any pool - whether it's the community park or your child's camp.
Beware of Bugs
Unfortunately, those blood-sucking critters are a part of summer
nights, and, yes, even days. Anjali Rao, MD, a pediatrician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago gives these suggestions:
Spray and repeat. Parents or caregivers should spray kids' exposed skin and
clothing. Reapply whenever the spray gets washed off or the child
starts getting bitten again. For an alternative to sprays, try insect
repellent pads that clip on clothes.
Check for allergic reactions.
Some kids react to insect bites more than others. If your child gets
bitten and seems to have an allergic reaction to the bite, seek medical
attention to see if you should give your child an oral antihistamine or
other medication.
Beware of serious bug-borne illnesses. Most
people who contract Eastern Equine Encephalitis ("Triple E"), a
mosquito-transmitted illness, do not show any symptoms. But here's the
good news: this illness occurs relatively infrequently and mostly in and
around swampy areas where human populations tend to be limited. West
Nile is another virus you'll hear about when the heat strikes.
Basically, if there are symptoms of either of these illnesses, they are
flu-like, so if you hear of instances in your area, and your child has
bites and flu-symptoms (and muscle-stiffness for West Nile), go to a
doctor. It's better to be safe.
Check for ticks. Ticks
thrive in warm, moist, woodsy areas, so ideally kids wear long clothing
to cover their skin, but let's be realistic: in the heat of summer,
that's hard to do. Dr. Richard Lichenstein, Director of Pediatric
Emergency Medicine Research at the University of Maryland Hospital for
Children, shares this important advice: To help prevent ticks from
attaching themselves to your kids, check them and shower within two
hours of coming indoors. Clothes are a culprit, too; ticks can come in
on a t-shirt! If the clothes aren't dirty enough to need washing (dream
on), do it anyway. Placing clothes in the dryer on high heat for at
least an hour will kill any ticks.
Kids six and older can check
themselves, with adult guidance, but they must check lots of areas, not
just forearms and legs: under the arms, in and around the ears, inside
the belly button, back of the knees, in and around the hair, between
the legs, and around the waist. If a child develops any rash or fever
after a tick bite, it's time to visit the doctor.
Prevent Dehydration
You may be surprised how much - and when - kids should drink. To
prevent dehydration, kids should drink 12 ounces of fluid 30 minutes
before an activity begins and take mandatory fluid breaks (like many day
camps require), with kids under 90 pounds drinking five ounces every 20
minutes during activities and kids over 90 pounds drinking 9 ounces
every 20 minutes. Tip: A child's gulp equals a half-ounce of fluid, so
your child should drink about 10 gulps for every 20 minutes of play.
The Safe Kids Coalition urges parents and caregivers to watch for
warning signs such as thirst, dry or sticky mouth, headache, muscle
cramping, irritability, extreme fatigue, weakness, dizziness, or
decreased performance.
Head Off Injuries
Dr. Jamie Freishtat, a pediatrician in the Washington, DC area, offers
some reminders around helmet safety. Kids should wear a properly
fitting helmet that is approved by the CPSC for the activity they are
doing (biking, skateboarding, etc) every single time. Why not take your
child with you to pick it out at the shop, so he can have a say in the
color and design? And, it may sound silly, but don't forget to fasten
the chin strap. Make a family rule: no helmet, no wheels. And parents
and caregivers, you must serve as an example: wear your own helmet!
Never Wait in a Hot Car
It only takes 10 minutes for a car to heat up by 19 degrees. Every so
often, we hear news stories of parents forgetting infants or leaving a
sleeping toddler in the car, and tragedies that ensue. Safe Kids
Worldwide advises parents - and hopes parents will remind caregivers -
to never leave a child alone in a car, even for a minute. Degrees can
be deceiving. Fatalities can occur at temperatures as low as the
mid-50s because a vehicle heats up so quickly. Children are at a great
risk for heat stroke because their bodies heat up three to five times
faster than an adult's does. Cracking a window? Not a solution. Some
advanced technologies are still being developed that may help prevent
heat stroke deaths in vehicles, but nothing has been proven effective
yet.
Worth Schlepping: A Summer Survival Kit
Dr. Lichenstein describes some smart stuff a parent or caregiver can
carry around in a purse, bag or car for summer emergencies:
- Cell phone
- Water
- Medications for chronic conditions
- Bandages
- Antibiotic cream for cuts and scrapes,
- Crushable icepack for bruises,
- Benadryl
- An epi-pen for a person with known allergies
- Sun protection
- Hats and sunglasses
- Insect repellent
- Tweezers
Let's not forget our sanity with all these safety measures to take and
remember. With all this stuff to worry about, carry around and do to
have a safe and enjoyable summer, it may not be long before we are
wishing for winter!
Read More - http://www.care.com/child-care-summer-safety-tips-a-guide-to-protecting-kids-when-activities-heat-up-p1017-q6731064.html
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