By Stephanie Chan

The summertime is always a great time for aunts to bond with their nieces and nephews. With so many outdoor activities, the possibilities are endless. However, a cause for concern is always whether it’s too hot to be outside.

The sun’s rays can be extremely dangerous to children. When kids are exposed to high temperatures and high humidity, it can cause some serious heat problems: heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and heat cramps.

In NIH Medline Plus, Dr. Eric Kirkendall of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital recommends the following tips for keeping children safe during the heat of the summer sun:

Be smart about when to go outside. Usually, the hottest time of day occurs from around 2:00pm until 4:30pm. So if the temperature is exceedingly high, those are the exact times you want to avoid. Instead, bring the kids out early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Stay hydrated! Keep some extra water bottles in your bag. Even consider throwing a water bottle in the freezer the night before so you can use it as a makeshift ice pack to cool the kids down. Sometimes kids are having too much fun playing around that they forget they need to drink water. Make sure to keep an eye out for this, as well as profuse sweating and red faces.

Know the signs. Sometimes, you can be doing everything right, but the heat still gets the best of your niece or nephew. The most threatening heat problem is the heat stroke. Symptoms include, hot, flushed skin, high fever, confusion, and seizures. Stay calm, and call 911 immediately.

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Photo: larrison via Flickr cc
Published: July 7, 2014