Rosalee Brown
THE HIGH temperatures now being experienced can really be debilitating to many adults and can have a greater impact on children, especially those younger than 12 years old.
Most Jamaican children are acclimatised to hot, summer weather, but adults and caregivers need to be aware of the increased health risk to these children, especially when they are involved in additional physical activities at camps and other sporting activities.
Children respond to the stresses of exercise and high temperatures in a different way than adults do. They tolerate temperature extremes less efficiently than adults and they have a lower sweating rate, which decreases their potential to evaporate heat as efficiently. It is also true that a child experiences greater heat production in exercise and is less able than adults to transfer heat to the skin. The surface area of a child compared to his weight is greater compared to an adult, making him gain excessive heat in high temperatures and lose excessively in low temperature. These factors put them at increased risk for dehydration.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
Dehydration can cause greater increases in body temperature, as heart rate increases with dehydration; blood flow to the skin decreases and causes body temperature to increase to dangerous levels. Obese children are at increased risk for higher internal body temperatures than their leaner counterparts, as studies have shown a quicker increase in heart rate and greater internal temperature when mildly obese boys were compared to leaner boys doing the same activity over the same period of time.
This does not mean that children cannot participate safely in activities in the heat, but precautionary measures should be taken to have children properly hydrated in the hours leading up to these activities, during the activities and also after the activity. Provide them with a sip bottle and encourage drinking. Lightly-sweetened and flavoured beverages such as sport drinks encourage greater fluid intake than plain water, and is useful for those taking part in sporting activities. They should avoid prolonged periods in extreme heat and wear clothing that encourage cooling of the body.
For children at summer school and camps who are not doing prolonged but intermittent exercise, hydration is also important. Provide an abundance of high-water content fruits for snacks. Even children who are involved in exercise in the water, such as at the pool and beach, need rehydration, as they do sweat in the water.
BABIES AND TODDLERS
Care must also be taken with babies and toddlers to ensure that they are kept cool and hydrated. Although water has a place in the diet of babies older than six months, care must be taken that it is not excessive, as children may want to drink a lot in this hot weather and if too much water is given it can create an imbalance with other foods. Avoid the temptation to give juices, as these are high in sugar and can prevent the consumption of other nutritious foods. Feed, instead, pieces of chilled fruit, chilled cereals and ice chips. Dress them in cool clothing and give regular splashes in water or sponge baths.
Make your own bag ices and popsicles for the older ones who are having fun outside, as these will have a greater concentration of fruit than the commercial kinds.
For the others who are unfortunately spending their summer watching TV and playing computer games inside, they, too, need hydration. Although they are not in extreme heat, the internal temperature of the house is also high. Go easy on the fruit popsicle; let them have more water and whole fruits.
Children, enjoy the rest of the summer holidays but keep hydrated.
Rosalee Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com
