Whether you plan to spend lazy days by the lake or trek into the wilderness, there are a few steps you can take to make sure everyone stays safe and healthy:
- Apply sunscreen to yourself and your children everyday and reapply often when spending time in direct sunlight. This is especially true if your child is swimming—frequent reapplication is a must! If at all possible, if sunburn does occur, apply an ice pack or try a cool bath and keep skin moist. If severe blistering occurs, please call the clinic for advice.
- Avoid bug bites by having your child wear insect repellent. The current Centers for Disease Center (CDC) recommendation for children over 2 months old is to use insect repellant with 10% to 30% DEET. (DEET should not be used on children younger than 2 months old.) If your child has bug bites that are painfully red and swollen, develops a fever, has a suspicious looking rash or other concerning symptoms, call us immediately at 651-552-7999.
- Protect children’s eyes with sunglasses when outdoors and goggles when in the water. Eye protection is also recommended for children playing most sports.
- Keep children well hydrated by drinking a large glass of water each morning and carrying water with you. Children should drink more when they are playing sports or active.
- Take your child to swimming lessons and vigilantly watch children in the water. This is especially important in Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes!
- Stay cool. Be mindful of your child over-exercising in the heat and never leave your children or pets in a parked car. If you or your kids show any signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, call 911 immediately.
- All children and adults should wear a helmet when biking, skating or riding a scooter. Always have your child wear a life jacket while boating, canoeing or tubing (the State of Minnesota requires children to wear life jackets).
- Prevent injuries by keeping children away from lawn mowers, ATV’s and fireworks.
651-552-7999! HealthyChildren.org explains why calling your pediatrician instead of going to a retail clinic or urgent care is the best practice. [learn more]
