Safety Tips for Fun Summer Activities

When you and your kids go outside, beware. Dangers lurk in the hot summer sun. Here are a few tips to keep you and the little ones safe in the heat, whether at home or abroad.

Sun Exposure

Babies under 6 months:

• Avoiding sun exposure and dressing infants in lightweight long pants, long-sleeved shirts and brimmed hats are still the top recommendations from the AAP to prevent sunburn. However, when adequate clothing and shade are not available, parents can apply a minimal amount of sunscreen on the child to small areas, such as the infant's face and the back of the hands.

For Young Children:

• Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outside, and use sunscreen even on cloudy days. The SPF should be at least 15.

For Older Children:

• The first, and best, line of defense against the sun is covering up. Wear a hat with a three-inch brim or a bill facing forward, sunglasses that block 99-100 percent of ultraviolet rays, and cotton clothing with a tight weave.
  
• Stay in the shade whenever possible, and try to avoid sun exposure during the sun's peak intensity hours — between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  
• Use a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or greater. Be sure to apply enough sunscreen — about one ounce per sitting for a young adult.
  
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after going swimming, sweating, or other water exposure.

Heat Stress In Exercising Children

• The intensity of strenuous activities that last at least 15 minutes or more should be reduced whenever heat and humidity reach critical levels.
  
• At the beginning of a strenuous exercise program or after traveling to a warmer climate, the intensity and duration of exercise should be limited initially and then gradually increased during a period of 10 to 14 days to accomplish acclimatization to the heat.
  
• Before prolonged physical activity, the child should be well hydrated. During the activity, periodic drinking should be enforced. For example, each 20 minutes, 5 oz of cold tap water or a flavored sports drink for a child weighing 88 lbs, and 9 oz for an adolescent weighing 132 lbs, even if the child does not feel thirsty.
  
• Clothing should be light-colored, lightweight and limited to one layer of absorbent material to facilitate evaporation of sweat. Sweat-saturated garments should be replaced by dry garments.

  Pool Safety

  • Never leave children alone in or near the pool, even for a brief moment.
    
  • Install a tall fence around the pool.
    
  • Make sure pool gates self-close and self-latch at a height children can't reach.
    
  • Keep rescue equipment (a shepherd's hook — a long pole with a hook on the end and life preserver) and a portable telephone near the pool.
    
  • Avoid inflatable swimming aids such as "floaties." They are not a substitute for approved life vests and can give children a false sense of security.
    
  • Children are not developmentally ready for swim lessons until after their fourth birthday. Swim programs for children under 4 should not be seen as a way to decrease the risk of drowning.
    
  • Whenever infants or toddlers are in or around water, an adult should be within arm's length, providing "touch supervision."

  Boat Safety

  • Your children should wear life jackets at all times when on boats or near bodies of water.
    
  • Make sure the life jacket is the right size for your child. It should not be loose. It should always be worn as instructed with all straps belted.
    
  • Water wings, rafts, and air mattresses should never be used as personal flotation devices.
    
  • Adults should wear life jackets for their own protection and to set a good example.

  Bicycle Safety

  • Do not push your child to ride a 2-wheeled bike until he or she is ready, at about age 5 or 6. Consider the child's coordination and desire to learn to ride. Stick with coaster brakes until your child is older and more experienced.
    
  • Take your child with you when you shop for the bike, so that he or she can try it out. The value of a properly fitting bike far outweighs the value of surprising your child with a new bike.
    
  • Buy a bike that is the correct size right now, not one your child has to "grow into." Oversized bikes are especially dangerous.

  Skateboard and Scooter Safety

  • Never ride skateboards or scooters near traffic.
    
  • All skateboarders and scooter-riders should wear a helmet and other protective gear.
    
  • Communities should continue to develop skateboard parks, which are more likely to be monitored for safety than ramps and jumps constructed by children at home.

  Travel Safety

  • Buckle up car seats and seat belts.
    
  • When your child reaches the top weight allowed for his/her car safety seat or their ears have reached the top of the safety seat, he/she needs a booster seat. Booster seats should be used until they can correctly use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
    
  • Keep supplies with you, such as snacks, water, a first aid kit and any medicines your child takes.
    
  • Always use a car seat, starting with your baby's first ride home from the hospital. Help your child form a lifelong habit of buckling up.
    
  • Read the manufacturer's instructions and always keep them with the car seat. Also be sure to read through your vehicle owner's manual for more information on how to install the car seat.
    
  • Put your child in the back seat. It is the safest place in the car because it is farthest away from a head-on crash (the most common type of crash).
    
  • The harness system holds your child in the car seat and the seat belts hold the seat in the car. Attach both snugly to protect your child.
    
  • Children in rear-facing car seats should never be placed in a front seat equipped with an air bag.
    
  • Children traveling alone to visit relatives or attend summer camp should have a copy of their medical information with them at all times.

  (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics)