It was barely June and there it was: a dot the size of a pencil tip on the back of my daughter’s thigh. After attempting to scrape off the speck and it didn’t budge, I looked closer. It only took a second for me to recognize those microscopically thin, spindly legs and slip into attack mode. No way is this tiny deer tick burrowing into my baby’s flesh! So early, so unexpected, so frightening. And, so it begins - the perils of summer.
The experience was a reminder that while summertime is a lot of fun and holds amazing first-time experiences for baby and parent, my 19-month old dodged a bullet (The tick hadn’t burrowed in deep, and I was able to swiftly remove it with tweezers.). To keep your child safe in summer, you always need to be one step ahead -and focus on the three P’s: preparation, protection, and prevention. Below are some guidelines for an injury-free season (Also see: Baby Beach and Pool Gear for a list of must-haves before heading out for fun!).
Sun Exposure:
Sunburn is one of the more obvious summer threats and we all know the importance of liberally applying sunscreen with an SPF 20 or higher to your child’s skin. But it doesn’t stop there. Sunscreen should protect against both UVA and UVB rays and be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure so it has time to absorb into the skin. (If you choose a sun block - which contains ingredients titanium or zinc oxide to reflect the sun's rays - it doesn’t have to be applied ahead of time.)
A common mistake mom and dads make is not slathering on protection on a cooler day. However you can get the same sunburn on a 60-degree day as you can on a 90-degree day, so don’t scrimp. And watch the clock: Lotion should be reapplied every hour, and even more frequently if kids are in and out of the water.
Two recent studies reported in Parents magazine drive home the need to be ultra vigilant about sun protection in babies and young children. The first says that just two blistering sunburns during childhood can raise the chance of melanoma later in life. The second finds for every waterside vacation a family took with kids aged 1 to 7, those kids had 5 percent more moles despite using sun protection.
To avoid being a part of either statistic, invest in SPF-infused clothing, especially rash guards and wide-brimmed hats, and seek shade during peak sun times. Another line of protection could lie in your child’s diet - one that’s high in beta-carotene may ward off the detrimental effects of UVA rays.
While the focus is often on SPF, heat tolerance is just as important to address. In an effort to cover up every skin part, parents often allow their child to overheat, which can lead to discomfort, dehydration, and fatigue. Also, children with red or blonde hair and fair skin; freckles; or blue, green, or grey eyes are at greater risk in the sun.
So, how do you know when you’re child’s had enough? Look for skin flushing, signs of thirst, and a prickly heat skin reaction - tiny pink pimples on a reddened area of skin usually around the neck and shoulders (but it can appear anywhere skin rubs against skin or clothing constricts). To treat, avoid rubbing and scratching the area and try smoothing on cornstarch or adding it to a cool bath. Both tactics can reduce body temps quickly.
Beach & Pool Safety:
With thousands of kids at emergency rooms each summer for near-drowning incidents, by far the number-one safety issue at the beach and pool is lack of supervision. You can never be too vigilant. Don’t turn your back on a child in the water, not even for a moment. Keep a hand on babies and toddlers at all times while in the pool or surf; and swim only when a lifeguard is on duty.
Other key water-safety tips:
Avoid using floaties, which tend to generate a false sense of security. It’s so much more valuable for your child to learn to float and tread water on his or her own. Plus, you’ll get a much better sense of the swimming ability of your child without floats.
Never too young for swim lessons: Previously, the American Academy of Pediatrics worried that enrolling children under 4 in swim classes might make them less cautious and parents less vigilant about watching them. But a new study shows that kids ages 1 to 4 who took formal swim lessons had a lower risk of drowning than those who didn’t.
Lay down the law: Teach good shore and poolside etiquette early. Understanding the rules, like not running near the pool or going in or near the water without an adult, even at toddler stage, can curbs accidents.
No dunking: Never dunk a child under age 3. Swallowing one big mouthful of water can be dangerous for a baby or toddler.
Learn CPR: Perhaps the most important thing you can know is how to perform CPR on a child. Call your local YMCA or American Red Cross chapter for classes.
Bug-Bourne Illnesses:
Number-one? Lyme Disease. The highest risks exist in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and parts of California. West Nile Virus is another evil not to be overlooked. It peaks in late summer and early fall in the U.S.
To ward off both ticks and mosquitoes, the best line of protection is DEET (also known as N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide or M-DEET). Studies say the insect repellent is safe in children in concentrations of 30 percent or less. (A lower percentage doesn’t mean the repellent is less effective, it just won’t keep the bugs away for as long.)
Choice of clothing can also help. If you’re taking your baby on a hike or outside for long periods, dress him or her in closed-toe shoes, long-sleeve shirts, loose pants tucked into socks, and light-colors (to see bugs better). Pull long hair back and tie on a hat whenever possible. Perform in-depth tick checks daily, scanning the entire body from top to bottom and checking the scalp and hair.
Also, pets are great tick transporters. Be sure they have top-performing flea and tick collars and that they are replaced regularly. If you do find a tick, as I did with my daughter, keep a close watch for symptoms of infection. If you notice a red rash with a small red spot where the bite occurred surrounded by a circular or oval-shaped rash like a bull's-eye within days or weeks of being bitten, seek medical help immediately.
Recreation Time:
Helmet Sense: Some 68 percent of childhood head injuries involving bikes, ride-on toys, and vehicles could have been prevented. When strapping your baby into your bike carrier, or jogger, or just setting them loose on driveway scooters and trikes, don’t forget that helmet. For fit, it shouldn’t sit too far forward or back and snap easily into place without pinching the chin. On longer bike rides, make sure your child has sport goggles. Sand and pebbles can easily kick up from your back tire and into the carrier.
Eye Care: Children’s eyes are particularly vulnerable to injury during the summer months and in one way you may not have thought about—fireworks accidents.
“Sparklers are the worst offenders accounting for one-third of all fireworks injuries in children under 5,” says Mitchell Strominger, Director of Pediatric Ophthalmology at Tufts University’s New England Eye Center.
They may look harmless, but sparklers burn at nearly 2000 degrees Farenheit - hot enough to cause eyelash singeing and third-degree burns. If a spark lands in the eye, it can cause permanent burns and scarring to the cornea.
Read more about Child Health & Development: