Young children under 5 years old bear the brunt of extreme heat. At home, outdoors or in the car, absolute vigilance is required to detect warning signs (excessive sweating, red face, unusual crying) and avoid heatstroke or dehydration.
Children, and especially those under 5 years old, are particularly vulnerable to high heat: their body regulates less well, exposing them to flash dehydration and hyperthermia. Rare but fearsome, heat stroke can cause serious after-effects and even be fatal. How to effectively protect toddlers from heatwaves? What are the essential reflexes to avoid heat stroke and dehydration? Here are the tips and precautions to adopt.
What symptoms should alert children when it is hot?
In babies and young children, heat stroke can result in:
- unusual crying
- red, hot, often dry skin
- tired eyes and dilated pupils
- a dry tongue and absence of sweating
- a strong thirst
And also:
- a fast or weak pulse
- severe headaches
- vomiting, even dizziness or even neurological signs (confusion, convulsion, loss of consciousness).
What to give him to drink and eat when it’s hot?
Offer to drink regularly to avoid the risk of dehydration and heat stroke. Babies don’t feel thirsty. Suggest a bottle of fresh water every hour and during the night, when he wakes up. For children with a varied diet: favor fresh fruits (watermelon, melon, strawberry, peach) or in compote, green vegetables (zucchini and cucumbers) or the dairy products (yogurt or cottage cheese) at meal times (when the child does not have lactose intolerance).
With an outside temperature of 26°C, 10 minutes is enough to cause the death of a young child in the car.
Whatever the reason, one or more children should never be left alone in a car in extreme heat. Temperatures inside a vehicle can rise excessively quickly. Even though an outside temperature can be considered moderate, of the order of 15 to 20°C, it can go up to 45°C in less than half an hour in the car. With an outside temperature of 26°C, 10 minutes is enough to cause the death of a young child in the car, points out the Association Prévention Routière.
If you have to take the car with your child and it is very hot outside:
- Choose loose, cotton, light-colored clothing. Prefer T-shirts to bodysuits, because they absorb perspiration while allowing air to circulate. Avoid leaving him shirtless, as sweating can lead to colds. Install a cotton terrycloth cover on the car seat. And always bring a vest if the temperature drops.
- Have him drink regularly and consider using fans and misters if the vehicle is not air-conditioned. But be careful, avoid drafts or ventilation aimed directly at him, because, with his sweaty skin, your child could risk catching a cold.
- Avoid riding during the hottest hours, that is to say between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and take frequent breaks.
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If you see a child alone inside a vehicle, call emergency services immediately :
Take it out of the vehicle as quickly as possible. You can break a car window if the situation requires it. The law protects you. |
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If the child has symptoms of heat stroke:
- Take him out of the vehicle as quickly as possible, cool him down and hydrate him as quickly as possible.
- Move the child to a cool place
- Undress him as much as possible
- Put cold, damp towels all over his body, paying particular attention to his face and fan him. Be careful, do not use ice water, it can be dangerous.
- If he is conscious and not vomiting: give him cool (but not iced) water to drink.
- If he lost consciousness : place it in the lateral safety position (on its side), while waiting for help.
What are some tips for keeping your child cool at home?
When it is very hot, there are simple tips to follow to help the child, especially when he is a baby, to feel less hot:
- Keep children in a cool part of the house.
Avoid walks during the hottest hours (11 a.m.-5 p.m.)
- Leave the child in a single diaper, especially to sleep and close your shutters or blinds during the day to keep out the heat. If necessary, you can wet his body to cool him down or spray his face with a water mist.
- In the event of a heatwave, baths are very welcome and effective in bringing down the child’s heat and thus cooling him or her. Always under your supervision, give the baby a lukewarm bath (no more than 5 degrees difference from the ambient temperature).
What are the recommendations if you have to take a child out when it’s hot?
- Avoid walks during the hottest hours (11 a.m.-5 p.m.), particularly for babies under one year old.
- Dress the child in light clothing, made of cotton or linen and light colors. Don’t forget to make him wear a hat and sun protection glasses, and favor shady corners or better, air-conditioned places (shopping malls for example). When traveling, also remember to take enough water for the trip. Above all, don’t forget to apply sunscreen every two hours to uncovered parts of the body.
- Avoid baby carriers, which place the child body to body and promote perspiration and heat.
- It is not recommended to cover the carrycots with linen intended to protect the baby against solar radiation; covering the carrycots causes a greenhouse effect: the temperature under the linen increases quickly.
Source : The child in the car, Association Prévention Routière, April 4, 2019.
