Winter Tips

• Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: layers of light, warm clothing; mittens; hats; scarves; and waterproof boots.
• Sprinkle cat litter or sand on icy patches.
• Learn safety precautions to follow when outdoors.
• Be aware of the wind chill factor.
• Work slowly when doing outside chores.
• Avoid traveling when the weather service has issued advisories.
• If you must travel, inform a friend or relative of your proposed route and expected time of arrival.
• Dress infants and children warmly for outdoor activities. Several thin layers will keep them dry and warm. Don't forget warm boots, gloves or mittens, and a hat.
• The rule of thumb for older babies and young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions.
• Blankets, quilts, pillows, sheepskins and other loose bedding may contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and should be kept out of an infant's sleeping environment. Sleep clothing like one-piece sleepers is preferred.
• If a blanket must be used to keep a sleeping infant warm, it should be tucked in around the crib mattress, reaching only as far as your baby's chest, so the infant's face is less likely to become covered by bedding materials.
• Hypothermia develops when a child's temperature falls below normal due to exposure to colder temperatures. It often happens when a youngster is playing outdoors in extremely cold weather without wearing proper clothing or when clothes get wet. It can occur more quickly in children than in adults.
  • Symptoms may include: shivering, lethargy, clumsiness, and in more severe cases speech may become slurred and body temperature will decline.
    
  • If you suspect your child is hypothermic, call 911 at once. Until help arrives, take the child indoors, remove any wet clothing, and wrap him in blankets or warm clothes.
• Frostbite happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen. This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose. They may become pale, gray and blistered. At the same time, the child may complain that his/her skin burns or has become numb.
• Many pediatricians feel that bathing two or three times a week is enough for an infant's first year. More frequent baths may dry out the skin, especially during the winter.
• Cold weather does not cause colds or flu. But the viruses that cause colds and flu tend to be more common in the winter, when children are in school and are in closer contact with each other. Frequent hand washing and teaching your child to sneeze or cough into the bend of her elbow may help reduce the spread of colds and flu.
• Children 6 months of age and up should get the influenza vaccine to reduce their risk of catching the flu.
• The sun's rays can still cause sunburn in the winter, especially when they reflect off snow. Make sure to cover your child's exposed skin with sunscreen.
• Winter is a time when household fires occur. It is a good time to remember to:
  • Buy and install smoke alarms on every floor of your home
  • Test smoke alarms monthly
  • Practice fire drills with your children
  • Install a carbon monoxide detector outside bedrooms

Summer Tips

• Apply sunscreen to your child at least twice an hour when around water to prevent
  sunburn.
  
• When applying sunscreen to your child, use at least an SPF 30 that blocks both UVA and UVB rays to prevent sunburn and long-term skin damage.
  
• Your child should avoid direct sunlight between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM to prevent sunburns.
• Infants under 6 months of age should be protected from direct sunlight at all times by a shade or clothing and sunscreen.
  
• Use a hat or sunglasses to protect child's eyes from sun damage.
  
• When using DEET-containing insect repellants, avoid applying them to the hands, feet and face to prevent children from getting them in their mouths.
  
• Children should wear helmets at all times when riding bicycles or scooters and when
  rollerskating or rollerblading to prevent head injuries.
  
• Providing a good example to your child by wearing a bicycle helmet when riding can
  prevent struggles over helmet use.
  
• Never leave your child unattended in the car, even if it is only for a few minutes. Cars
  can reach dangerously high temperatures within minutes when the weather is warm.
• Ensure access to plenty of water for your child to drink during outdoor activities to
  prevent dehydration during warm weather.
  
• Teach your child to never go into a pool or the ocean to swim unattended to prevent
  drowning.
• Your pool should be surrounded by a high fence with a locking gate that latches on the inside to prevent children from swimming unattended.
  
• Watch children closely to avoid accidental poisonings from hazardous cleaning solutions while you are doing your spring cleaning. If possible, have another family member take care of your children while you are cleaning and store all cleaning supplies out of reach of young children.
  
• If your child has seasonal allergies, they should continue to take their allergy medication daily through the end of the pollen season for the best results.