What To Wear…In Winter
Make sure your children are dressed for the cold weather when they come to school.
Some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
- Always dress children warmly for outdoor activities. Several thin layers will keep them dry and warm.
- Rule of thumb: dress them in one more layer than an adult would wear in the same conditions.
- Frostbite: 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.
- If Frostbite Occurs: Bring child indoors and place frostbitten parts in WARM, not hot water. (100 degrees or the temperature of warm bath) Warm washcloths may be applied to frostbitten noses, ears, and lips. DO NOT RUB THE FROZEN PARTS. Dry and cover the cold with clothing/blankets. Give him/her something warm to drink. If the numbness occurs more than a few minutes, notify your doctor.
- Hypothermia: When a child’s temperature falls below normal due to exposure to colder temperatures. It often happens when a child is playing outdoors in extremely cold weather without wearing proper clothing or when clothes get wet. It can occur more quickly in children than adults.
- Symptoms of Hypothermia: child may shiver and become lethargic and clumsy. Speech may become slurred and body temperature will decline in more severe cases. Take your child indoors and remove any wet clothing and wrap him/her in blankets or warm clothes.
IF YOU SUSPECT HYPOTHERMIA, CALL 911. For more information on wind chill go to, https://www.almanac.com/ windchill-chart-united-states
Stay Warm!
~Nurse Lindsey