Safety in Sun and Heat
Health care professionals from the Division of General and Community Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center offer the following safety tips for outdoor activities under the sun.
- If your child begins to get sick or queasy from the heat, have him / her lie down in a cool, shady spot and give fluids. If this doesn't help, seek medical assistance.
- Children need constant fluids to avoid heat stress. Water is ideal, but lemonade, fruit juices, snow cones and Popsicles" also are good choices.
- Avoid caffeinated drinks. Caffeine is a diuretic, which causes a person to urinate the water he / she should be retaining.
- The sun and heat can be deceptive. Take time out to step indoors or into the shade; let your eyes adjust; then check for sunburn, as well as signs of heat stress.
- Liberally apply sunscreen before heading outdoors. Use a sunscreen developed specifically for children because the ingredients are less irritating. For very young children, use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 to 45. For older children, an SPF of 30 is fine.
- Do not apply sunscreen to children under 6 months of age, unless recommended by a physician. Instead, use sun bonnets and other methods of shading the infant's face, neck and other exposed skin.
Contact Us
For additional information on this or any Health Topic, please call the Family Resource Center, 513-636-7606, or your pediatrician.
Rev. 1/06
