The well-known pediatrician, Mihai Craiu, made a list of the three major precautions during the heatwave that must be observed by parents with infants or small children. “Take care of yourselves and the children, in this extreme heat”reports Dr. Craiu.
In hot weather, children must wear a hat PHOTO: pixibay
“Summer has come in hot mode. On vacation or at home we should adopt THREE major precautions these days for infants or very young children.
1. Beware of direct exposure to the sun! Infants under 6 months of age should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Definitely NOT between 11 and 3 in the afternoon!
2. If, however, we are at the beach with a small child who can move on his own, and he is not sitting under an umbrella, it is imperative to cover his/her head with a hat. And to apply, several times a day, especially after returning from the pool or any bath, sun creams. For small children, preferably with a high protection factor, SPF50+
3. Beware of dehydration. This can catch you off guard as young children can get seriously dehydrated these hot days…
An infant also loses water if he does not urinate much even if he does not have diarrhea or vomiting”draws the attention of Dr. Mihai Craiu, primary pediatrician at the “Alessandrescu-Rusescu” Mother and Child Health Institute in Bucharest, on his Facebook page Virtual Children’s Hospital.
According to the doctor, the “camouflaged” loss of fluids, the so-called IWL (Insensible Water Loss), can be the result of sweat and saliva evaporation.
“These processes are not easily seen, but they can produce very serious effects. An adult loses IWL about 300-500 ml of water per day. An infant is at much greater risk because they normally lose 1-2 ml/kg EVERY HOUR! Take care of yourselves and the children, in these extreme heats”, concludes Dr. Mihai Craiu.
Hot temperatures persist in the south of the country, and for Saturday and Sunday, June 22-23, 2024, meteorologists have issued two Red Code warnings for several counties in the south of the country. We will face a persistent and intense heat wave.
