The summer season also brings with it many problems. In this season, when even elders need to take special care of their health, it becomes even more important to take care of children. It is especially important to protect small children from heat because they are unable to explain their problems. Know how to take care of small children during summer in this article, The 20 tips included in this article can help keep children healthy and happy during the summer.
Essential Baby Care Tips For Summer
1. Right clothes: It is important to keep children’s body cool and ventilated during summer. For this, first of all attention should be paid to their clothes. It is always better to dress children in cotton and loose clothes during the summer season. Cotton clothes allow the internal temperature of the body to go out, due to which the temperature remains normal. Cotton clothes can protect the child from overheating (overheated body). This also helps in protecting the child from skin diseases.
It is okay for children to wear half-sleeved or sleeveless clothes inside the house. Wear light, full-sleeved clothes to protect yourself from mosquitoes and sunlight outside the home. Apart from this, make children wear light-colored clothes in summer because dark colors absorb more temperature, which leads to overheating.
2. Keep children hydrated: To protect the body from dehydration i.e. lack of water, children above six months of age need to take special care. The reason for this is that the water needs of small children are different from those of adults. There are many reasons for this, like the percentage of water in the body of children and its exit, both are more. Also, small children are not able to express their thirst. Keeping all these things in mind, fluids should be given to children. Consult your doctor for advice on how much water or fluid children need in a day according to their age and health.
3. Children’s diet: It is also important to take care of children’s diet during summer, which is as follows.
- Take special care of cleanliness while preparing food for children. Whether you give ready-made food to children or prepare it at home, its quality depends on how cleanly the food is prepared.
- Do not give street food to children because cleanliness is not taken care of while preparing it.
- While giving food to children, first check its quality yourself, because food items can spoil quickly in summer.
- Children’s tiffins and bottles etc. should be of steel because using plastic utensils has its own disadvantages.
Whatever the season, some things should always be kept in mind while feeding children, such as:
- Children’s food should contain plenty of vitamins and other nutrients.
- Give children as much food as they are hungry, that is, do not force-feed them.
- Along with food items, children may need supplementary foods (health supplements), consult a doctor for this.
- It may be appropriate to divide these four types of foods – high calorie, high fat, sweet and salty – in the right quantity and mix them in the meals throughout the day.
- Too much sweet food can be harmful for children’s teeth. Give plenty of summer fruits like mango and watermelon.
4. Stay indoors: Do not take your baby out of the house during the summer season to protect him from the strong sunlight and high temperatures. Even if it is hot in the evening and at night, avoid taking it outside.
5. Talcum Powder: Talcum powder specially prepared for children can prove to be very helpful during summer. These not only provide protection from rubbing of clothes but can also be helpful in softening the skin. Consult a pediatrician before purchasing talcum powder for your children. Cosmetic talcum powder may be made of harmful chemicals, which can harm children’s skin. To make the use of talcum powder beneficial for children, it may be better to choose herbal and antibacterial products.
Take special care while applying powder to children. Children can inhale talcum powder particles, which can cause harm to them.
6. Protection from mosquitoes: There are more mosquitoes during summer, due to which there is a possibility of diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya. To avoid all this, it is also important to protect children from mosquitoes. For this, using a mosquito net is the best option. You can use mosquito repellents while going out of the house.
According to research, anti-mosquito lotion made from a chemical called Citrodiol (PMD), DEET, Icaridi (KB3023), IRR 35 can be used for children.
7. Bathe children daily: To get relief from heat and keeping cleanliness in mind, it is important to bathe children daily. Scientific research also says that using water and soap can remove dirt like sweat and dust along with bacteria. Bathing children daily can also reduce the risk of skin diseases. If you bathe your child more than once to keep him cool, do not use soap again and again. Using excess soap can be harmful for the delicate skin of children.
8. Diapers in summer: If you are using diapers for children, then do not leave them wet for too long. During summer, there may be a problem of diaper rashes in and around the genitals of children. In such a situation, make children wear cotton nappies for some time and use antiseptic cream prescribed by the doctor. Apart from this, leave the baby without a diaper and nappy at least once a day. This will maintain natural moisture on the baby’s skin.
9. Massage in summer: After massaging children during summer, bathe them thoroughly. It is important to completely clean oil from children’s skin. Due to oil remaining on the skin, dust and dirt can stick to it and cause dirt.
10. Room temperature for children: Children need a little warmth while sleeping, but too much heat is not good for children. If you use a fan for the child, then keep in mind that the air from the fan is not coming directly at them. If there is AC in the room, keep the room temperature normal. The room temperature can be kept stable around 18 to 27 degrees Celsius.
11. Use of sunglasses: Sunglasses are also commonly used for children above 3 years of age. If you also use sunglasses for your child, then buy the glasses from a reliable and branded shop only. Cheap-colored goggles available at toy stores are not effective in protecting the eyes from sunlight. It is best to use a cap to protect the eyes from sunlight.
12. Children should wear caps: Children can wear caps while taking them in the sun. Keep in mind that the cap should not have tight elastic. The cap should be comfortable.
13. Prevention of heat rash: During summer, small rashes often appear on the skin of children. These are called prickly heat in the common language. This type of problem arises due to excessive sweating. It may cause burning and itching, due to which children remain troubled. To get relief from prickly heat, cotton clothes should be used. Some home remedies can be done for this, like an oatmeal bath, gentle massage of aloe vera gel, baking soda, sandalwood powder or Multani mitti paste. Boiling neem leaves in water and bathing children in it can also provide relief from heat rashes. If the condition is serious, it is important to show the child to a doctor, because it may cause discomfort to the child.
14. Do not leave the child in the car: Never leave the child in the car whether it is winter or summer. Even running the air conditioner can be harmful to children. Leaving a child in a locked vehicle for even short periods of time can put them at higher risk of heatstroke, dehydration, or death. Especially, special care should be taken about this in summer.
15 . Sun Protection: Protection from the harmful rays of the sun is also important. It can be difficult, especially for children above 4 years of age, to restrict themselves from going out in the sun. Therefore, for protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays, sunscreen lotion with spf (sun protection factor) 15 and protection from UVA (ultraviolet A) and UVB (ultraviolet B) can be used.
16 . If children are sweating: If the child is sweating, do not try to bring him to a cool environment immediately. Let the body temperature return to normal. Use a soft towel or handkerchief to wipe off sweat.
17 . Ice cream and cold drinks: Do not use ice cream and cold drinks to cool down small children. These contain high amounts of sugar, which can damage teeth as well as cause many diseases. Experts believe that children below 12 years of age should be kept away from such substances. If you want to give cold liquids to children, then prepare them at home. At the same time, mother’s milk is sufficient for children younger than six months. Do not give them extra fluids.
18. Haircut for summer: Keeping the child’s hair short can also be an effective solution to protect him from the heat. If for some reason the hair cannot be cut short, it may be better to keep them tied.
19. Children’s bedding in summer: Keep children’s bedding light in summer. Do not use mattresses that are too hot. Spread a cotton sheet on it. Keep washing the bedding from time to time.
20 . Take care of health in summer: Many types of diseases spread during summer. If children see the following symptoms of heat-related illness, contact a doctor immediately.
Symptoms of heat stroke:
- high body temperature (103°F or higher)
- hot, red, dry skin
- palpitations
- nausea
- confusion or irritation
- unconsciousness
Symptoms of sunburn:
- skin redness and irritation
- skin blisters
In this article, you learned how small children can be protected from the ill effects of heat by taking care of small things. All the above-mentioned measures can prove helpful in keeping children cool and healthy during summer. Keep these things in mind during summer and provide a safe environment to your children. If you feel that the child is experiencing some discomfort or his health is not well, then contact the doctor as soon as possible.
