For most families, summertime means outdoor fun in the sun. However summer fun can turn into disaster in an instant. Every summer the Children’s Emergency Center at North Central Baptist Hospital sees dozens of injuries caused by preventable summertime accidents. Here are some tips to help keep your family safe this summer, brought to you from the staff of the Children’s Emergency Center at North Central Baptist Hospital.
Sunburn: Your body needs a little bit of sun to make the vitamin D it needs to form strong, healthy bones. But too much sun can lead to sunburn and even worse, skin cancer.

Here are a few prevention tips:
• Avoid sun exposure between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. when the sun’s rays are the strongest.
• Always use a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater. Apply 20 minutes before going outside.
• Reapply sunscreen after swimming or sweating.
• Wear loose fitting, light-colored long-sleeved shirt and long pants. Wear a wide-brimmed hat to shade your face.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Call a health care provider if there is severe blistering, fever over 102 degrees, dizziness or vision problems

Water Safety:
Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental injury deaths for children under 14 years old. Most young children who drown in pools had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time.

Here’s how to safeguard your children:
• Buy an approved safety cover and keep the pool covered when not in use.
• Fence in your pool to prevent children from entering without permission.
• Never leave children in the pool unsupervised, even for a minute.
• Adults should not be involved in any other distracting activity (such as reading, playing cards, or mowing the lawn) while supervising children.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while supervising children.
• Enroll your children in swimming classes, but be aware that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend swimming classes as the primary means of drowning prevention for children younger than 4 years of age.
• Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CPR performed by bystanders has been shown to improve outcomes in drowning victims.
• Do not use air-filled or foam toys, such as “water wings”, “noodles”, or inner-tubes, in place of life jackets. These toys are not designed to keep swimmers safe.
• Toys should be removed from the pool immediately after use. Floats, balls and other toys might encourage children to enter the pool area or lean over the pool and potentially fall in.

Heat-Related Illness:
Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke are problems largely brought on by heat and dehydration. Children don’t always slow down in the heat the way adults do, but with proper care it is possible to prevent these serious heat-related illnesses.

Heat Exhaustion occurs when your body cannot sweat enough to cool you off.

• The signs of heat exhaustion include cool, moist, pale skin, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fainting, and a moderately increased temperature.
• Rest and water may help in mild heat exhaustion, and ice packs and a cool environment (with a fan blowing at the child) may also help.
• More severely exhausted patients may need IV fluids, especially if vomiting keeps them from drinking enough.

Heat Stroke can be life-threatening and requires emergency medical treatment.

• The symptoms of heat stroke are extremely high body temperature, red, hot skin, fast, strong pulse that becomes weak as the victim gets worse, fast, shallow breathing, vomiting and unconsciousness may follow.
• Call 911 and follow the instructions for heat exhaustion until emergency help arrives.
Preventing heat-related illness is easy:
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Plan strenuous activities for early or late in the day.
• Take action at the first sign of heat-related illness.
• Wear loose, lightweight clothing.
• Eat light, cool, well-balanced meals.
• Never leave a child in a closed, parked vehicle.
• Take baths and showers to lower body temperature.

This summer make sure your family is protected from accidents, injury and illness by keeping these safety tips in mind. Should you need emergency care, the Children’s Emergency Center at Northeast Baptist Hospital is just moments away and available 24/7 to help. Dial 911 for most emergencies, or to speak to a doctor or nurse you can call 297-4050.