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Summer heat puts
children at risk for dehydration
Dehydration during periods of intense
heat is a serious concern for all ages. Many adults head straight for the comfort of
air-conditioned environments to avoid the heat, but active children may choose to remain
outdoors--increasing their risk of heat-related illness such as dehydration, heat
exhaustion and heat stroke.
'We see kids like this in our emergency
department,' Dr. George L. Foltin, director of the Pediatric Emergency Service at Bellevue
Hospital in New York City, said in an interview. These children are often 'stuck in a hot
environment' and thus placed at risk for dehydration.
Younger children in particular are very
susceptible to the heat because infants and toddlers are 'too young to ask for what they
need and cannot control their environment,' Foltin explained. Also, very active, older
children who are 'really into their playing' are at risk, since they may not stop their
activity to drink fluids. While continuing their play, they may often be placing
themselves at risk for overexposure to the heat.
'You have to be careful because your
water losses are already high many times before you actually have any symptoms (of
dehydration),' registered dietitian Kathy Hubbert, from the University of Alabama at
Birmingham, told Reuters Health. Symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, irritability,
flushed cheeks, stomach cramps, leg cramps or fainting, said Foltin. If any of these
symptoms occur, the child should be placed in a cool environment, such as an
air-conditioned room, and should be given cool liquids to drink, he advised.
'Heat-induced illness is preventable,'
according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, one of three organizations that have
released policy statements on dehydration. The American College of Emergency Physicians
and the National Athletic Trainers' Association have also issued warnings on the subject.
To avoid dehydration, children and
adults should drink plenty of fluids, 'before, during, and after exercising,' Foltin
recommended. Water is often the most accessible drink, but 'sports fluids have been shown
effective as well,' he stated. When given a choice, children are more likely to choose
sports drinks, which contain a balance of salt and carbohydrates, over water, Foltin
explained. On the other hand, caffeinated drinks and alcohol, which dehydrate the body,
should be avoided.
'The purpose of drinking fluids is
multi-fold,' Hubbert stated. 'We perspire upon exertion to maintain our core internal
temperature,' she explained. Therefore we need more water in hot weather to help maintain
core internal temperatures, she said. 'Also, in high humidity, our ability to perspire is
reduced so maintaining internal temp is more important,' Hubbert added. |
