Parents are urged to prevent kids from overheating
- Written by Candice Meisels
According to NSW Health’s website: “Hot weather can affect your baby or child because their bodies cannot adjust to changes in temperature as well as adults. Babies and children sweat less, reducing their bodies’ ability to cool down, and they generate more heat during exercise than adults. They are at risk of overheating and developing a heat-related illness. Heat can also make existing illnesses worse”.
NSW Health's website recommends that parents should:
* Check that your child is drinking enough fluids.
* Make sure your child is dressed in cool clothes, wears a broad-brimmed hat and sunscreen
* Never leave babies, children or pets alone in a car, not even for a moment. Babies and children can overheat very quickly in cars. The temperature inside a parked car can be 30-40°C hotter than outside the car.
* Never cover a baby capsule in the car with a rug or towel as this will restrict air moving around the baby, making them hotter.
* An enclosed pram can get very hot; try to ensure that the air circulates around your baby by removing the back panel (if possible) or placing them in more open strollers.
Emma Lovell, founder and Director of CoziGo (formerly Fly Babee) and mum of two says: “CoziGo was designed with the Aussie climate in mind. Too many people grab whatever is at hand to cover their stroller without thinking about how safe it is for their baby. CoziGo is 100% breathable but most importantly it's air permeable meaning that air flows freely through the canopy without restriction. The unique dome shape also gives lots of freedom of movement for bubba. These two aspects stop the stroller becoming a hot house - unlike other types of fabric often used to cover prams. It also offers sun protection of 50+.”
Emma adds: “So many of us spend lots time researching our strollers and lots of money on the purchase and don't properly research an appropriate sleep and sun cover.”
Sun Smart states on their website:
“Childhood and adolescence are critical periods during which exposure to UV radiation is more likely to contribute to skin cancer in later life. Parents have an important role to ensure their children establish healthy sun protection habits during the early years.”
References: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/
