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Children and Heat-Related Illness

With summer comes all kinds of outdoor sports: baseball, tennis, football practice, swimming and more. Before sending kids out to play in the neighborhood, to sports practice or camp, or just for a long day of play in the sun, learn how to protect them against heat-related illness.

  • Make sure they stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Stay away from really cold drinks or drinks with too much sugar.

  • Loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing will help keep them cool.

  • Make sure they use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.

 

Children and Car Safety in the Summer

  • Never leave infants or children in a parked car.

  • Leaving a window open is not enough: temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open.

  • Even when it feels cool outside, cars can heat up to dangerous temperatures very quickly.

  • Children who are left unattended in parked cars are at greatest risk for heat stroke, and possibly death.

  • To remind yourself that a child is in the car, when the child is buckled in the backseat, place a stuffed animal in the front with the driver.

  • When leaving the car, check to make sure everyone is out of the car. Check the backseat for any children who have fallen asleep.

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