As both Europe and the US swelter through heatwaves, a medical professional has warned parents to be aware of the signs of heatstroke and what to do if a child is affected.
According to Dr Connie Kostacos, a paediatrician at New York’s Columbia University, heatstroke represents a medical emergency — “and can lead to death”.
The condition occurs when the body is unable to maintain a normal body temperature and either creates or absorbs more heat than it is capable of releasing, with the core temperature rising above 104F (40C).
Signs of the condition vary but often include accelerated breathing, confusion, cramps, dizziness, dry/flushed skin, headache, nausea, slurred speech, unusual behaviour, and vomiting.
In some cases, heatstroke may be preceded by heat exhaustion — which, while serious, can usually be resolved by 30 minutes of actively cooling down — it can also come on suddenly.
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Dr Kostacos said: “Heatstroke is a serious medical condition. Children feel heat and humidity faster and more severely than adults and have a harder time cooling down.”
In fact, body temperature can rise three–five times faster in children than in adults, in part because kids have a more surface area relative to their mass, meaning that they absorb heat faster.
At the same time, children also lose heat more slowly as they have a lower blood volume and a less developed sweating mechanism.
While infants and toddlers are the most at risk — being unable to take care of themselves — older children are also susceptible to the condition, the paediatrician noted.
She added that factors like other health conditions, medications and weight can heighten the risk, warning: “It’s not black and white. Age is not the only factor.”
Humidity also plays a role. Dr Kostacos explained: “The higher the humidity, the less you sweat and release heat. Humidity is debilitating.”
In one case, Dr Kostacos recalled, a mother reached out when her daughter felt unwell after doing sports on a hot and humid day.
The child felt warm to the touch and had been suffering from diarrhoea, dizziness, headache and vomiting.
The paediatrician commented: “If symptoms like these do not subside within 30 minutes, it’s a cause for concern and a trip to the emergency department.
“Watch for mental changes too, like confusion, slurred speech and unusual behaviour. These are serious warning signs something is wrong.”
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Parents who spot such symptoms in their children should seek emergency medical assistance immediately, Dr Kostacos.
While waiting for help to arrive, she added, parents should move affected children into a cooler place to help lower their body temperature.
Unnecessary, excess clothing can be removed and cool damp cloths/sponges or fans can be used to cool the child’s neck, armpits, and groin areas. Here, Dr Kostacos explained, large blood vessels lie closer to the skin’s surface, and so can help lose heat faster.
The paediatrician added: “If the child is conscious and able to swallow, give them cool liquids to sip — preferably water or electrolyte drinks.”
Heatstroke, Dr Kostacos notes, “can happen in any hot or humid environment — such as a parked car, on public transportation, on beaches, at pools, or in apartments without air conditioning.”
There are measures one can take to help lower the risk of heatstroke. The paediatricians explained: “It’s best to exercise and run around before 10am and after 2pm. Avoiding the hottest part of the day minimises risk.”
Heatstroke can also occur in children — especially younger ones who are unable to remove items of clothing on their own — if they are over-bundled. It is important, Dr Kostacos said, for parents to pay attention to their children and help them if needed.
And it is not just children who are at heightened risk of heatstroke, the doctor noted, with older adults also experiencing the condition the same way kids do.
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