Local doctor offers tips to keep children, others safe in the sun

As the temperatures climb higher and higher, one local doctor is offering warnings and tips to keep children sun safe.

Dr. Mark Martindale is a doctor of both internal medicine and pediatrics at Saline Medical Pediatrics Group in Benton.

He said generally the highest risk from the sun is between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. so he recommends staying inside during those hours.

Parents should limit sun exposure for babies. Children under 6 months old cannot use sun screen. For children 6 months to a year, he recommends keeping them in the shade.

He said parents can go by how the sun is affecting them. If a parent is easily burned, the child will most likely be easily burned.

To prevent burns, he recommends 30 SPF sunscreen or higher and reapply if the child gets wet or if it may have worn off.

He also recommends long sleeves. He said there are many “cool wear” items available to keep the sun off without over heating.

Martindale said parents should pay attention to how they feel. If they are hot or thirsty, their child probably is also. If they feel overheated, their child is most likely feeling over heated.

He wants parents to remember that because it is cloudy does not mean they and their children are safe from the sun. The sun’s radiation can still get through the clouds.

He said most burns are acute first-degree burns. The skin will peel off and heal.

Some burns can blister and be second-degree. Very rarely do burns get to third-degree.

He said if the burn is blistering, there is fever and feeling bad they

should go see a doctor.

A major risk of sun exposure, Martindale said, is skin cancer. He has seen melanoma in young people. He also sees many older people who were not sun safe when they were young who are now dealing with skin cancer.

He hopes as the children of the past 10 years and forward get older there will be less skin cancer because the education about sun safety and the use of sun screen has improved.

Besides the risk of burns and skin cancer, the heat is also a danger of summer.

He warns parents to be ever vigilant of both how they feel and how their children feel. He reminds parents that sometimes children get so busy playing they forget to drink. It is up to parents to ensure their children stay hydrated.

Martindale said if the child feels hot and thirsty, get them out of the sun to cool off.

Two of the risks of excessive heat are heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Heat exhaustion is when a person is so hot they are no longer sweating, have chills and feel nausea. He said to immediately get that person inside and cooled off. He said they can’t be cooled too quickly. He recommends a bath as cool as a child can take or cold wash clothes. They need to drink plenty of fluids.

Heat stroke involves neurological symptoms. He said if a child is hot and they start acting confused or not like themselves, it may be time to get them to an emergency room.

He said if a person gets overheated to the point of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, they are more susceptible to doing so again within the next few days so they should avoid heat.

If a family goes on vacation, they should be careful if they do not want to spend the whole time away recuperating.

Martindale said sun is a good thing. It raises Vitamin D levels.

He added that sun radiation can also pass through windows so babies and those avoiding sun exposure should also avoid windows.

Martindale said to never leave anyone, no matter what age, in a car with the windows rolled up and no air conditioner. He said a car quickly becomes and oven in a short amount of time.

Anyone with questions or concerns about heat and sun exposure should ask their doctor.