Sat Nov 21 2009
On the playing field or in a car, kids can get dangerously hot in no time at all.
Heat exhaustion or stroke can sneak up on active people of any age amidst high temperatures and humidity, but children at play or in athletic competition or practice are particularly susceptible.
"Young children may not recognize warning signs of heat exhaustion or stroke by themselves and may not drink enough water without frequent adult supervision," said Dr. Sara Rizvi, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine who practices at Texas Children's Hospital.
"Most people think of thirst first, but it is a late warning sign for heat exhaustion," she said. "When playing outside, children should keep drinking water at regular intervals even when they are not thirsty."
Avoiding hard play or workouts between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. misses both the hottest hours of the day and the strongest exposure to sunlight.
Parents, caregivers and coaches need to watch out for symptoms that include weakness, fatigue, dizziness, cramps, hot and dry skin, rapid pulse or mental confusion. Heat exhaustion can usually be addressed with a shift to an air-conditioned room or car, with cool drinks and cool towels on the back of the neck.
Heat stroke is heat exhaustion left untreated, marked by loss of consciousness and severe cramping. Give the victims the same first aid, but seek professional medical help, too.
Athletes going into intensive pre-season conditioning to prepare for football or any outdoor sport that gears up during August particularly need time to acclimate to the heat. That's why the National Association of Athletic Trainers and several other medical and sports training groups last month adopted a new set of guidelines that call for a 14-day heat-acclimatization period before practices go full-scale.
The process includes limiting practices to one a day for the first 5 days, with limited use of protective gear, then alternating double practice days with single practice days for the rest of the introductory period. No single practice should go more than 3 hours, or 5 hours total in a day, with at least 3 hours recovery time in a cool place in between practices.
Even if it's not very hot outside, say 80 degrees, a car can reach up to 131 degrees when parked in direct sunlight. It only takes about 10 minutes when windows are closed.
Dr. Nick Jouriles, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, says drivers who have kids in the car at any point need to be especially careful if they are sleep deprived or on an unusual schedule, making it easier to forget a child in a rear seat, particularly a rear-facing car seat. Use a stuffed animal or something else as a reminder up front.
The rest of the time, keep doors locked, keys away from kids and let children know it's not safe to play in or around an unattended vehicle.
And if you see a child unattended in a car, call the police. If the child appears to be in distress, don't wait for emergency workers. Break the glass and start steps to cool the tot as quickly as possible.
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