Extreme heat: sun exposure, hydration, clothing… how to protect your child on hot days ?

With the scorching days that France has been experiencing for several weeks, the health of the youngest can sometimes be in danger. Here are some tips to protect them as much as possible.

It keeps getting hotter and hotter every day in France. With such temperatures, little ones can sometimes be in danger. It is therefore necessary to follow some recommendations to protect them more.

Hydration

The first rule to follow is hydration. Children must drink very regularly during these heatwaves. Mothers who breastfeed their infants must increase the number of feedings. You should also not hesitate to wet them. Swimming and water games are strongly recommended if children are not exposed to the sun.

Questioned by BFMTV, Doctor Daniel Meyran, National Medical Advisor of the French Red Cross also recommends to “put damp cloths on the child on the forehead and thighs, areas of large blood vessels to help reduce temperature”. Regarding clothing, it is important to choose cotton and light-colored clothing to avoid heat build-up.

Well Of course, exposure to the sun should be avoided as much as possible. Going out between midday and late afternoon is therefore not recommended, even by car: “You should never leave a child in a car exposed to heat, even very briefly!”, reminds the member of the French Red Cross, still in the columns of our colleagues.

Recognizing “heat stroke”

Despite all these precautions, it is important that parents”be able to recognize”the signs of hyperthermia, a stage that precedes”heat stroke”. This phenomenon generally occurs when the child urinates little, or not at all. “The kidneys stop working to maintain water inside the body. This is also one of the consequences of heat stroke, renal failure which can sometimes be complete”, specifies Dr. Meyran, speaking to BFMTV.