How to protect your children and babies from potential dangers such as heatstroke during heatwave

Everyone is susceptible to falling ill when we are experiencing extreme heat such as the current heatwave.

But babies and young children can be at even greater risk due to them not always understanding the dangerous the heat and sunlight pose.

The NHS have offered some advice to parents and carers in a bid to cut down on the number of heat and sun related illnesses.

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Their website gives a whole heap of advice when it comes to keeping your little ones happy and healthy while we’re going through the current heatwave.

Protecting your child from the sun:

“Keep your baby cool and protect them from the sun.

“Babies less than 6 months old should be kept out of direct sunlight. Their skin contains too little melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin, hair and eyes their colour, and provides some protection from the sun.

“Older infants should also be kept out of the sun as much as possible, particularly in the summer and between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is at its strongest. If you go out when it’s hot, attach a parasol or sunshade to your baby’s pushchair to keep them out of direct sunlight.”

How to avoid dehydration:

“Like adults, babies and young children need to drink plenty of fluids to avoid becoming dehydrated.

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“If you’re breastfeeding your baby, you don’t need to give them water as well as breast milk. But they may want to breastfeed more than usual.

“If you’re bottle feeding, as well as their usual milk feeds, you can give your baby cooled boiled water throughout the day. If your baby wakes at night, they’ll probably want milk. If they have had their usual milk feeds, try cooled boiled water as well.”

Help keeping your little one cool:

“Playing in a paddling pool is a good way of keeping babies and children cool. Keep the pool in the shade during very hot weather and supervise the children carefully at all times.

“Run them a cool bath before bedtime.

“Keep your child’s bedroom cool during the day by closing blinds or curtains. You can also use a fan to circulate the air in the room.”

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