Norton Children’s Hospital doctors share how to stay safe in a heat wave
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – As the heat wave continues here in Bowling Green, Norton Children’s Hospital is sharing many ways to stay safe in the heat.
With the holiday weekend, it is even more important to be aware of heat safety, especially if you have children.
Dr. Brit Anderson not only warns about the heat but especially the heat and how it affects children. One thing that she says is more dangerous than people think is hot cars.
“Hot cars and kids just do not mix. It’s amazing how hot a car can get really, really quickly, even if it’s parked in the shade and it doesn’t even seem that hot outside. It can be dangerous when the temperatures are like this, it can get very dangerous very quickly. So we would recommend never leaving a child alone in the car, even for a moment. Because that’s, you know, that things can happen even in a short time,” Anderson states.
Heat is more dangerous than people think, so being ahead of the heat is the best remedy. The key way to stay ahead of the heat is to be pre hydrated. Constantly staying hydrated before going outside and participating in any activities is the most important. Some other tricks to stay safe in the heat are always having shade nearby if you’re outdoors for long periods of time, being near bodies of water to help cool yourself off and not only drinking water but also making sure to have some electrolytes as well.
Along with knowing the safety tips, it’s also important to know the risks of the heat. There are many risks when its’s hot outside, including many illnesses that children are more prone to.
“There’s a spectrum of illness, right? From more mild, like heat cramps and, and feeling tired and fatigue all the way to heat stroke, which can be life threatening. Children in particular, you know, have unique risks. So watching out for young kids that can’t move themselves and take themselves out of the heat. So sometimes little babies just get fussy or, and that’s a sign actually that something is going wrong, that they’re too hot and they need to come out of the heat,” Anderson says.
It’s important this holiday week to know how to stay safe in the heat and how to help your children stay safe in these temperatures as well. To find more information about how to keep yourself and your children safe in the heat, visit your local doctor or visit the Norton Children’s Website at nortonchildrens.com for more information.
