By Jamye Cutter, RN, BSN
Pediatric/Maternal Child Health Supervisor

Summer is on the horizon and with that comes lots of fun and excitement. Cookouts, pools, and playing outside are the greatest parts of summer. With all that fun though, it is important to remember some summer tips to keep you and your loved ones safe.

Water Awareness
Taking a dip in the pool or in the lake can be a great way to spend a hot summer day.  Unfortunately, each year there are more than 4,000 drowning deaths nationwide and the New Hampshire average is 1.13 drownings per every 100,000 individuals. For children ages 1-4, drowning is the leading cause of death. It is quick, silent, and can happen to anyone. Simple measures can be put in place to avoid such a tragedy. Knowing basic swimming and water safety skills as well as being trained in CPR is a great start to reducing the risk of an accident. Ensuring that access to water is limited with a fence, making sure that distraction free supervision (no using a phone or reading a book), swimming with a buddy, and wearing a life jacket are some other simple tools that are essential.

Skin Care
It is great to be able to play outside in the warm summer sun. Too much exposure to the sun’s harmful rays can be unhealthy. Infant’s skin is more delicate and thinner than an adult and can be burnt more easily. Infants younger than 6 months should be kept in the shade as much as possible.

For those older than 6 months, staying in the shade is still a good idea. Dressing in lightweight clothing with long sleeves and long pants while wearing a wide brim sun hat and sunglasses will help decrease exposure to the sun. Sunscreen should be applied 15 to 30 minutes prior to going outside and reapplied every 1.5 to 2 hours especially if in the water.

Insect Protection
Insects are an aspect of summer that can’t be avoided unfortunately. Biting insects such as mosquitoes and black flies can make anyone miserable and even transmit serious illnesses.  Insect repellents are approved to be safe and effective in individuals over the age of 2 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend using an insect repellant product that has been registered by the Environmental Protection Agency. DEET is a common ingredient in insect repellant and the concentration indicates how long the productive is effective. Using the lowest concentration for the time you plan to be outside is recommended. Follow the directions on the bottle and apply only to exposed skin. Wash off as recommended.

Summer is a great time to be having fun and enjoying the outdoors. By implementing a few safety precautions, fun can be had by all!

References

Baby Sunburn Prevention. (n.d.). HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/bathing-skin-care/Pages/Baby-Sunburn-Prevention.aspx

CDC. (2021, June 16). Prevention | Drowning Prevention | CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/prevention/index.html

Choosing an Insect Repellent for Your Child. (n.d.). HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Insect-Repellents.aspx

Drowning Data | Drowning Prevention | CDC. (2021, June 17). https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/data/index.html