With sports camps, pool parties and family outings happening frequently, there is no doubt that summer is now in full swing. We get caught up in the day to day and often let one important thing slip our mind. Safety. Be prepared for your child’s activities the rest of the summer by following some simple safety tips provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Fun in the Sun
- The best line of defense against the sun’s rays are to cover up.
- Stay in shade whenever possible, and limit sun exposure during the peak hours of intensity (between 10 AM and 4 PM).
- Apply sunscreen with an SPF 15 or greater on both cloudy and sunny days.
Reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after swimming or sweating.
- Use extra caution near water and sand as they reflect UV rays and can increase chances of a sunburn.
Heat Stress in Exercising Children
- Intensity of activities that last 15 minutes or more should be reduced whenever heat or humidity reach critical levels.
- Before outdoor physical activities, children should drink freely and should not feel thirsty.
- Kids should always have water or a sports drink available and take a break to drink every 20 minutes while active.
- Clothing should be light-colored, lightweight and limited to one layer of absorbent material.
- Sweat-saturated shirts should be replaced by dry clothing.
- Children should promptly move to cooler environments if they feel dizzy, lightheaded or nauseated.
- Avoid areas where insects congregate, such as stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods and gardens where flowers bloom.
- Avoid scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child.
- Combination sunscreen/insect repellent should be avoided. Sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, but insect repellent should not be reapplied.
- Use insect repellents containing DEET. 10% DEET provides protection for about 2 hours, and 30% protects for about 5 hours. Choose the lowest concentration that will provide the required length of coverage.
- Children should wash off repellents when they return indoors.
- Never swim alone. Even good swimmers need buddies!
- Never leave children alone in or near the pool or spa, even for a moment.
- When on boats, docks or near bodies of water, children should wear life jackets at all times. Make sure the life jacket is the right size. The jacket should not be loose and all straps need to be used.
Safety should be our top priority! For a more detailed list of safety tips provided by AAP, please visit the following links: 2016 Summer Safety Tips and Sun and Water Safety Tips