It could signal that the child is in distress from too much heat. On Wednesday, Tucson set a new record for consecutive days of 100-plus-degree temperatures with 40, dating back to June 16. "Young kids are also more susceptible to dehydration because a larger percentage of their body weight is water."ĪFP via Getty Images A woman wipes her son with a wet cloth as her family waits at a bus station in Tucson, Ariz.
"Children's bodies take longer to increase sweat production and otherwise acclimatize in a warm environment than adults' do, research shows," according to KFF Health News. Another mechanism is the way they handle water. That makes kids more vulnerable to high temperatures. While in an adult, that heat had a harder time getting to the middle and cooking us." "The kids are like the small potato in which the heat can get faster to the core. "That's exactly what happens with the kids," Mora said. But smaller potatoes cook much faster, as heat can quickly reach their center. If it's a big potato, heat will have a hard time getting to its core. "Imagine that you had a potato and you want to cook that potato," climate scientist Camilo Mora, a professor at University of Hawaii at Manoa, told NPR. Part of the reason is behavioral - many kids can get so distracted that they might not notice the effects of high temperatures - but other factors are physical. Here are some tips from experts, for people looking after small children and big kids:Ĭhildren under 9 can be at a particular risk for heat stress. One basic rule to keep in mind is that the younger they are, the more carefully they should be monitored. Several factors put children at risk from heat, from physical characteristics to the likelihood that they're not attuned to notice signs of their own heat exhaustion. People can also sustain burns from pavement and other surfaces - including playground equipment. Small children can be especially at risk in the heat, but experts say they can still play safely - if grownups follow a few guidelines.Įxtreme temperatures can cause dangerous stress to the heart, kidneys and other organs, and humidity and dehydration can compound the risks.
Extreme heat poses health risks to everyone - and it's a unique challenge for kids who love to be outdoors in summertime.
0 kommentar(er)
