Keeping Babies and Children Cool

With the hot weather bearing down on us, parents and caregivers really need to keep the kids cool and hydrated. Here are a few tips that will help you do just that. The first thing that you have to keep in mind is that babies and children overheat quickly in hot weather. In order to prevent dehydration make sure to give babies and young children extra drinks, even if you’re inside. If you have an older child you can also offer them homemade sugar free or low in sugar freezer pops. They make great ones that use fruit juice instead of sugar. We don’t need an overly bouncy kid on a hot day. Breastfeed babies should be feed more often. Moms don’t forget to have plenty of fluids yourself including a cool drink at every feed. Bottle feed babies should be offered extra cool boiled water after the bottle. The next thing you could do is when you do go out, dress them in cool clothing and use sunscreen. Last but not least, when it’s time for their nap make sure that their room is kept cool. If you do notice that your child or babies is suffering from dehydration or heat exhaustion contact your pediatrician. Some Symptoms of Dehydration are; thirst, fatigue, irritability, dry mouth and feeling Hot. If these symptoms are ignored, heat exhaustion or a heat stroke can occur. 1 1 webMD.com