As of June 30th this year, children under the age of 18 had experienced 89 medical visits due to heat injuries, or about 2.3 times the number of medical visits in the previous three years, according to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control's Real-time Outbreak & Disease Surveillance system (RODS) report on emergency medical visits. To lower the risk of heat injury, the Health Promotion Administration recommends four suggestions for preventing heat injury in young children.
Read more: The doctor reminds general public to be aware of four precursors of heatstroke during summer
Health Promotion Administration urges the public to prevent heat injury during blazing summer vocation.Photo reproduced from Health Promotion Administration
According to the Health Promotion Administration, young children cannot properly drink water and rest because of their high sweating rates and weak language and self-care skills. When older kids are participating in activities, they tend to disregard the pain brought by a high body temperature and dehydration. Heat injury symptoms could have surfaced before anomalies in the body or consciousness were discovered.
Health Promotion Administration urges the public to prevent heat injury during blazing summer vocation.Photo reproduced from Health Promotion Administration
Because of this, the Health Promotion Administration advises children to wear light-colored, breathable, and lightweight clothing; wear sun hats with UV protection and select appropriate sunscreen products when going out; stay as much as possible in a ventilated and shaded place; replenish water in a timely manner and avoid drinking large amounts of water, drinking iced water, or substituting water with sugary drinks; parents are also reminded to take their children out of the cars when possible.
