Tips for keeping your children safe during summer activities

July 4, 4:16 PMNY Education ExaminerLorri Giovinco-Harte

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It's summertime, which means vacation, outdoor activities, and more opportunities for fun in the sun.  Unfortunately, outdoor activities also can bring worries about keeping children safe.  The American Academy of Pediatrics has posted a list of tips for parents to help them keep their children safe while engaging in summer activities.

Their Summer Safety Tip Sheet lists recommendations and precautions for various hazards such as sun exposure, pool safety, and heat exposure.  Here is a look at their list:

HEAT STRESS IN EXERCISING CHILDREN

* The intensity of activities that last 15 minutes or more should be reduced whenever high heat and humidity reach critical levels.
* At the beginning of a strenuous exercise program or after traveling to a warmer climate, the intensity and duration of exercise should be limited initially and then gradually increased during a period of 10 to 14 days to accomplish acclimatization to the heat.
* Before prolonged physical activity, the child should be well-hydrated. During the activity, periodic drinking should be enforced, for example, each 20 minutes, 5 oz of cold tap water or a flavored sports drink for a child weighing 90 lbs, and 9 oz for an adolescent weighing 130 lbs, even if the child does not feel thirsty.
* Clothing should be light-colored and lightweight and limited to one layer of absorbent material to facilitate evaporation of sweat. Sweat-saturated shirts should be replaced by dry clothing.
* Practices and games played in the heat should be shortened and more frequent water/hydration breaks should be instituted.
 

For the full list, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics.