Signs of heat exhaustion in babies

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Soaring temperatures can turn deadly for young children. Child advocates remind people that high temperatures can be deadly for infants.

“Infants don’t have a way of cooling themselves down like adults do,” said Christy O’Neal, the regional development officer at Lutheran Children and Family Services. “Their bodies just don’t regulate themselves like they’re used to and so it’s important for us to be able to monitor them. Of course, they can’t tell us if they’re feeling bad. They can’t tell us if they’re overheating. So it’s important for us to know the signs of some issues that may arise.”

O’Neal says some of the first symptoms of heat exhaustion in an infant will be extreme fatigue or drowsiness, not wanting to take a bottle, crankiness, flushed face and rapid breathing. She shares how you can prevent this from happening.

“Bring a cooler, freeze some wash clothes so when those start melting you have something to put on your child. So you don’t want them to be ice cold and you don’t want to use ice but you do want them to cool them down. You can also spray their feet and their hands and that helps keep them cool as well.”

According to the National Safety Council, the leading cause of heat related deaths in infants is being left in a hot car. Last year 29 babies passed away from being left inside a hot car. O’Neal says they offer classes to help educate parents on the importance of heat exhaustion.

“Car temperatures can rise extremely rapidly and so that’s one reason why its very important, even if your car is in the shade,” said O’Neal.

People can sign up for classes through Lutheran Family and Children Services.