This article focuses on sunburn, heatstroke (heat stroke), heat exhaustion and heat rash in children:symptoms, prevention and natural treatment. With a view to the coming period with hopefully a few warm and especially sunny summer days, it is especially important with young children to pay attention in the (bright) sun. This article focuses on sunburn, heatstroke (heat stroke), heat exhaustion and heat rash in children:symptoms, prevention and natural treatment.
The first signs that a child is suffering from heat, without necessarily having to be in the (full) sun, is a heat rash. A child can always get a heat rash, so not just in the summer. Heat rash means in many cases that the child is dressed too warmly, sweats too much and therefore suffers from a rash.
As the name implies, this is a result. The rash is characterized by stinging, red dots, especially around the sweat glands on the chest, back and armpits. The child can suffer from very annoying itching. To prevent scratching, you must treat the rash as soon as possible.
Take the child to a cool room and undress the child. Sponge the child completely with cold water. Do not dry, but only lightly pat dry, so that the skin remains slightly damp. Apply a cooling ointment or, for example, yogurt.
It is best to undress a baby completely and put it in a lukewarm bath. As with sponging, the baby's skin should remain slightly moist after the bath. Put on your child breezy, cotton clothes, but make sure that your child does not get too hot again.
Although it is quite difficult to prevent heat rash (one child is more likely to suffer from heat than another child), prevention is better than cure. Therefore, do not dress your child too warmly. Because children move around a lot, they suffer from heat more quickly than adults. Do not let your child (play) in the full sun and especially let the child wear clothes made of natural materials such as cotton. Non-natural fabrics promote warmth and make your child sweat faster.
In principle, you do not have to go to the doctor in case of a heat rash, unless the child still has a rash after 12 hours or if your child develops a fever.
This can occur in hot, humid weather and is the direct result of dehydration. Sick children, especially those who vomit and have diarrhea, and children who are not used to playing in the heat are most at risk.
The child will begin to complain of headaches, dizziness, and nausea when they are old enough. If a child is still very young, you should pay particular attention to other symptoms. Think of:sweating, pale, clammy skin, cramps and fast, weak pulse. The younger the child, the more severe heat exhaustion can be. It is therefore very important to always be alert.
As soon as you suspect heat exhaustion, move the child to a cool room or shade. Have the child lie down, with a pillow under the head. Put the legs high (indoors just a pile of pillows underneath, improvise outdoors). Raising the legs improves blood flow to the brain. Let the child rest.
Let the child drink as much cold, salt water (solution of 1 teaspoon (grape) sugar with a pinch of salt in 200 ml of water or some dissolved ORS) as much as possible. This will replenish the lost fluid in the body. Dextrose is preferred as dextrose is absorbed directly into the blood.
Do not give sweet drinks, as they contain (artificial) sugars, dyes and the like, which the child does not need in this case. If you are on the road, you can choose to give grape juice, for example (make sure that it is 100% juice without additives) and possibly have something salty to eat (a small thing).
Heat exhaustion in children is quite easy to prevent. Keep a child who is sick or not feeling well in hot humid weather indoors/in a cool area. Minimize play in hot, humid weather with a few rest breaks in between. Let your child drink a lot (preferably water) and cool down completely. Make sure that your child does not sit or walk in a draft while cooling down, because then your child can get sick.
If a child loses consciousness, you must intervene quickly. It is very important to assess the overall condition of the child. If the child is breathing, place him or her in a stable side position and call the ambulance. If the child is not breathing, CPR must be started immediately, while someone else calls the emergency number.
Nothing is more annoying than sunburn, where the skin literally burns by the sun. Children have delicate skin and are more prone to sunburn. Sunburn varies from fairly mild, with only a little red skin, to severe skin discoloration.
For (small) children, any form of sunburn will be annoying. The rule here is:prevention is better than cure. In addition, science is increasingly finding a link between frequent sunburn and skin cancer. You don't just have to get sunburn in the sun, you can also burn in the shade, although it will take a little longer there.
Sunburn starts with discoloration of the skin and is accompanied by itching, redness and pain. You can also burn yourself if you use sunscreen. Alertness is advised!
Place your child in the shade or in a cool area where they need to drink plenty of water. Burning causes moisture loss. There are plenty of liniments for sale in the shops that have a cooling effect if your child has suffered a sunburn. However, make sure that the liniment is appropriate for the age of the child.
If you prefer natural remedies, you can rub the burnt parts with cooling natural yogurt or lemon juice (note, the latter stings). Vinegar gently dabbed on the burned skin brings relief. Do you have aloe vera gel or a plant? This also has a cooling effect. Just like witch hazel (witch hazel) spray. A mixture of essential oils can also offer a solution.
It is best, of course, to avoid sunburn. Before going outside (in the sun), always apply sunscreen to your child, with a very high factor, because the child's skin is delicate. There are even sunscreens for sale that can be used for swimming. You can find these on the shelves at Kruidvat or Trekpleister, for example. Keep in mind that water reflects the sun and thus increases the risk of sunburn.
Personally, I prefer a homemade sunscreen. You can use natural products, without chemical additives. Are you curious how you do this? Then quickly read the article 'Making your own sunscreen'.
Therefore, do not stay in the water with your child for too long. Good protection on the head in the form of a hat or cap is not recommended, but a must. Despite hair, the scalp can burn and it is less noticeable there, especially in girls. It is important that the fluid level in the body is maintained:let your child drink as much as possible.
In principle, you do not have to go to the doctor in case of a sunburn, unless it is a very serious burn of a baby or in case the child gets heat stroke (see below). If your child is in a lot of pain and cannot sleep, you can consult the doctor about using children's paracethamol.
Heatstroke or heat stroke occurs when the body overheats in a hot environment. For (small) children, heat stroke or heat stroke can be particularly dangerous. Sometimes a sunburn is accompanied by a sunstroke. Heat stroke is not to be confused with heat exhaustion.
The child, when old enough to talk, will complain of a sudden headache. Furthermore, your child may appear confused, suffer from warm, red and dry skin. Become drowsy quickly, have a fast and strong pulse and a body temperature above 40 degrees.
It is necessary to intervene immediately if your child has suffered heat stroke. Since the life of the child is in danger if no action is taken and the body temperature becomes too fast and too high. Babies are especially at risk because their bodies do not tolerate temperature fluctuations well. However, there are a number of things that you must and can do immediately in case of heat stroke:
1. Call the doctor immediately and tell him/her that your child has suffered heat stroke
2. Place your child in a cool place and take off all his clothes (underpants may remain on)
3. Put a towel or pillow under his head and put your child at ease by talking calmly
4. Sponge the child each time with lukewarm or cold water, without drying. A dash of (apple) vinegar added to the water will provide more cooling
5. Fan the child's coolness to lower his temperature (possibly in combination with wraps)
If there is no improvement within a reasonable time and the temperature decreases, the child should be taken to the doctor as soon as possible. If there is a loss of consciousness with respiratory arrest, you must immediately inform the ambulance. If the child is not conscious, but is (still) breathing, put your child in a recovery position and call the ambulance after all.
Enjoying the sun is allowed and possible, but in moderation and certainly not between 12:00-16:00!
Do you have any additional tips for recognizing, preventing or treating sunburn, heat stroke, heat rash in children? Let me know in a comment below this post.
