Summer is not the time to relax safety precautions

<p>We like to think of summer, with its long warm days and family vacations, as carefree, but the risks of the season are not insignificant. Especially when it comes to keeping our children safe, the season calls for some simple, common- sense measures.</p><p>Children's bodies do not adjust to hot temperatures as well as adults' bodies; children produce more heat and they sweat less. Also, kids may not want to take breaks to drink fluids, so it is up to the adults to make sure they don't get dehydrated or overheated.</p><p>The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends drinking about 5 ounces of water every 20 minutes during summer activities. You might tempt your children with soda, but you aren't doing them a favor with those empty calories, so encourage your children to drink water as much as possible. Drinking water is a good habit to develop, and you can prefreeze those water bottles to keep them cold and appealing on hot days.</p><p>The sun is stronger than ever with the depletion of the ozone layer. Dr. Dale Westrom, a Santa Rosa dermatologist, tells me he has had patients as young as 4 years old with basal cell skin cancer, which is directly related to sun exposure. The youngest child he has treated with malignant melanoma, an even more deadly skin cancer, was 8.</p><p>The message is clear: From the time a baby is born, his or her skin should be protected from direct sunlight. Use protective clothing, hats, shades and umbrellas. Eyes get sunburned, too, and excessive sun exposure leads to cataracts, so wearing sunglasses is a good habit to develop early in life.</p><p>Use sunblock liberally - those that contain zinc oxide are the safest and most protective for children. There is a rule: "The Shadow Knows." When your shadow is taller than you are, the most dangerous rays are pretty much gone, so if your children are outside with shadows shorter than their own height, they should definitely be covered with protective clothing or sunblock.</p><p>Insect bites and stings cause allergic reactions, sometimes leading to skin infections. Prevention is the key: Dress your kids in light-colored clothing, which is less likely to attract insects. Repellents that contain less than 10 percent DEET, or those with citronella or soybean oil, are preferred for children. Apply the repellent to clothing instead of directly onto skin for less absorption and wash it off as soon as it is no longer needed. Avoid using scented soaps because those scents can also attract insects.</p><p>Immediately applying a thick paste made of baking soda and water can take the pain out of a bee or wasp sting, and mild cortisone cream helps with persistently itchy bug bites. But if a sting causes a total body reaction, take your child to the nearest emergency room immediately; allergies to stings can be life threatening.</p><p>Swimming in pools, in ponds and in local rivers is one of the joys of summer. Children as young as 6 months can learn to save themselves should they fall into water, but these skills must be taught by a certified Infant Swimming Resource instructor. Swimming is an important survival skill, so every child 4 years and older should be taught elementary swimming skills. And regardless of age, parents should never let any child play near water without supervision.</p><p>All water is potentially dangerous, and our stretch of the Pacific Ocean is known for sleeper waves that can pull a child out to sea in the blink of an eye. Don't let a calm day fool you: Keep your children close when you are at the shore.</p><p>Sweat, sun, stings and swimming: the Four S's of Summer Safety. Keep it simple, keep it safe, and you will make summer memories that last a very long and healthful lifetime.</p><h3>ONLINE RESOURCES</h3> <p>Nemours Foundation -- Go to kidshealth.org/kid and click on Watch Out</p><p>Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford -- lpch.org/HealthLibrary/ParentCareTopics and click on Bites/Stings</p><p>SOS Sunsuits -- www.sosunsuits.com</p>