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Guard your children against the blazing sun
Our Correspondent
Ludhiana, May 1
With the mercury soaring in the region, there have been a number of cases of children suffering from heat strokes, which could turn into a life-threatening emergency that required immediate medical attention. In an advisory issued by Fortis Hospital here today, Dr Vishal K. Singh, Department of Paediatrics, says, "The harsh summer months are time for us to protect our children from the blazing sun and intense heat. Children being children, will not refrain from playing outdoors. But as parents and guardians, we must be aware of the ill-effects of heat and carefully watch out for any symptoms which could be the beginning of a heat related illness.'' He observed that prolonged exposure to heat and humidity, or inadequate fluid intake could cause various types of heat-related illness. Children and adolescents adjusted more slowly than adults did, to changes in environmental heat. They also produced more heat as they were more active than adults, and at the same time, sweated less. "Sweating is one of the body's normal cooling mechanisms. Children and adolescents often do not think about resting when having fun and may not drink enough fluids when playing, exercising, or participating in sports, leading to three types of heat related illnesses – heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat strokes." Focusing on heat cramps, Dr Singh explained, "Heat cramps are the mildest form of heat injury and consist of painful muscle cramps and spasms that occur during or after intense exercise and sweating in high heat. The cramps are painful, especially in the legs, and are accompanied by a flushed moist skin and a low fever, usually less than 102 degrees F. The remedy is to move the child to a cool place and let the child rest, remove his excess clothing and sponge him with a cool towel, make the child drink cold drinks such as 'nimbu pani', electral water or Gatorade and stretch the cramped muscle slowly and gently." Heat exhaustion, he pointed out, was more severe than heat cramps and resulted from a loss of water and salt in the body. "Heat exhaustion occurs when the body is unable to cool itself properly and, if left untreated, can progress to heat stroke. The symptoms of heat exhaustion are cramps, flushed moist skin, fever above 102 degrees F, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, fatigue, weakness, anxiety and feeling of fainting. The remedy is to take all the steps as in the case of heat cramps and also ensure plenty of cool fluid intake. However, if the child does not show improvement in an hour, immediate hospitalisation is necessary." The more severe form of heat illness---heat stroke---said Dr Singh occurred when the body's heat-regulating system was overwhelmed by excessive heat. It was a life-threatening emergency and required immediate medical attention. The symptoms in this condition were a high fever, usually above 104 degrees F, warm and dry skin, loss of appetite, severe headache, vomiting and nausea, a rapid heart rate, stupor or disorientation, lethargy and, in severe cases, seizures. "The remedy is to remove excess clothing immediately and drench skin with cool water and constantly fan the skin. Place ice bags in armpits and groin area and, if the child is able to drink, give cold drinks or electral water. Call for a doctor immediately or take the child to a hospital, since the child will, in all probability, need intravenous fluids."
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Some tips to protect your children from heat related medical problems:
- Ensure that the child has plenty of fluid intake throughout the day, especially clear fluids like water, lime juice, watermelon juice, coconut water, buttermilk and readily available fruit juices. For example, for a 25 kg child , it is essential that he has a liquid intake of at least 1800 to 2000 ml /day (8-10 regular size glasses) in peak summers.
- Any hectic outdoor physical or sporting activity should be encouraged only in early morning or late evening and should be avoided in the afternoon hours.
- Use clothes that are porous and do not retain heat - cottons, khadi and linen. Have a layered pattern of dressing with these fabrics, so that the child perspires and loses heat easily. Synthetic fibres and nylons should be avoided.
- Many kids join summer camps and it is important that the camp managements takes care of their hydration diligently. Check if the camp has facilities of hydration. In case your child suffers from heat stroke, this would be required while he is transported to a medical facility and is also a means to bring down the temperature.
- Take care that your kids eat small, frequent light meals which are easy to digest and that fruits, fresh vegetables, curd and buttermilk are a regular component of their daily diet. Heavy, spicy and oily stuff should be avoided in summers.
- If a child shows symptoms of heat stroke, he should be immediately shifted to the nearest medical facility. Simple measures like oral hydration along with control of temperature with cold sponging and oral anti-pyretics should be initiated while transporting the kid to the hospital or clinic.
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