Pediatrician provides advice on how to keep children safe during the heat and what the signs of dehydration are
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- It is hot out there and everyone can be at risk in the heat. Kids can still have fun in the sun as long as grown ups follow safety guidelines. ABC-7 spoke with Blanca I. Garcia, M.D., a pediatrician at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso. Doctor Garcia says you should make sure kids are staying hydrated by drinking water. She says parents should avoid giving sugary drinks to kids because it defeats the purpose and it does not help them stay hydrated.
Doctor Garcia also advices parents to let children play outside either early in the morning or later in the afternoon once the sun goes down. "If you are out during the day making sure that kids are wearing sunscreen if they're out playing in the sun. And also if they have an area to play that is covered, or shaded, would be preferable. But in reality, trying to stay out of those peak hours would be the best" said Blanca I. Garcia, M.D. "Different people have different tolerance for heat. and young children, especially babies, can dehydrate pretty quickly. So it's important to just be mindful, you know, if you're hot, your baby's hot, you know. And so, making sure that any child stays hydrated and again, stays out of the heat during those peak hours is it's the best, advice I can give you."
An El Paso mother shared with us how she’s taking precautions with her small children during this hot weather. Roxana Nieto said "I give more water to them and put sunscreen and stay indoors when the sun is too strong." And Dr. Garcia says it's not only small children who can be at risk in the heat. All of us have to be mindful about the heat.
Here's what Blanca I. Garcia, M.D. says you can identify the signs of dehydration "parents can recognize some of the symptoms or the signs of a child or an adolescent, having issues with, you know, heat, illness. Some of those things are maybe going to the bathroom less meaning that their bodies still retaining water. Another thing would be if they're feeling dizzy or headaches, or even, you know, feeling a little bit nauseous." Dr. Garcia says this all could be signs of somebody becoming dehydrated.
Dr. Garcia says this is a common issue not just with little kids, but also teenagers who play sports and are involved in camps or similar activities during the summer. ABC-7 also asked a soccer coach Humberto Carbajal how he keeps the Franklin High school girls soccer team safe during this hot weather and here's what he said: "We have to plan our season. Our calendar is planned around the weather as well. And part of that is keeping the girls indoor during, high temperatures, as we've had lately. Keeping them indoors, doing our weight training indoors and also, if we happen to train outside, we give them plenty of breaks."
