INDIANAPOLIS —
As temperatures are expected to remain at record levels over the next few days, the Indiana Department of Child Services cautions parents about the dangers extreme heat can pose for infants, young children and older youth.
“Infants and children must rely on others to help regulate their environment for them and provide adequate liquids and relief from the dangerous heat conditions,” said DCS Director James Payne. “But the good news is parents can prevent heat illness.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that hundreds of people each year die from excessive heat exposure and that infants, children and the elderly are the most vulnerable.
“Extreme heat like this is a potentially dangerous situation and we see complications from it every year,” said Dr. Robert Collins, medical director, Emergency Services at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health. “Heat-related illnesses can range from heat exhaustion to heat stroke. Children are no different than adults in that if their bodies aren’t cooled, they risk seizures or losing consciousness.”
The CDC says air-conditioning is the number-one protective measure against heat-related illness. Shopping malls and other public facilities can be good places to spend time on high-heat days for families without air conditioning. The CDC also recommends parents take these preventative steps for avoiding heat-related illness in children:
• Provide plenty of fluids, preferably water, throughout the day.
• Limit outdoor exposure, particularly during midday and in areas with concrete or asphalt surfaces.
• Remain in shaded areas when outdoors.
• Dress infants and children in cool, loose clothing, use sunscreen, and shade their heads and faces with hats and umbrellas.
• Never leave children in a parked car even for a few minutes.
• Even with the windows slightly cracked, temperatures inside the car can rise by almost 20 degrees within as little as 10 minutes, says the CDC.
• Watch for warning signs of heat illness
“We want families to have fun this summer and enjoy quality time together,” Payne said. “But we really want them to be safe, and watch out for the smallest in the family to the older youth who tend to participate in sports this time of year.”
Parents should watch for the following signs of possible heat stroke or exhaustion:
• Body temperature above 103 degrees.
• Red, hot, dry skin with no sweating.
• Rapid, strong pulse.
• Complaints about headache.
• Dizziness or confusion.
• Nausea, vomiting.
“If you notice the heat affecting your kids, move them into a cool environment, remove some of their clothing and have them drink fluids. If they are showing signs of heat stroke or exhaustion though, you should go to the emergency room,” Collins said.
SOURCE: Indiana Department of Child Services
Top Story 2
Related Photos
-
Keep children safe in the heat this summer. (Stock photo)
Discussion
Watch kids during extreme heat
- Top Story 2
-
-
Nothing to do this weekend? The Trib-Star's 'BASH section offers some suggestions
Community Theatre of Terre Haute’s main stage season finale opens this Friday, with the hit Broadway comedy “Social Security,” directed by Sonni Crawford.
-
10 Things to Know for Friday
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
-
Banks of the Wabash Festival kicks off
The 2013 Banks of the Wabash Festival, scheduled May 23 through June 1 in Fairbanks Park, celebrates 40 years along the banks of the Wabash River, 30 under the sponsorship of the Terre Haute Parks and Recreation Department.
-
AAA: 31.2M drivers to take Memorial Day road trip
It's going to be another busy Memorial Day weekend on the nation's highways. From Thursday through Monday, 31.2 million Americans will drive 50 miles or more to a beach, campground or other getaway, according to car lobbying group AAA.
-
UK PM: Brutal London attack appears to be terror
LONDON — A brutal attack in broad daylight near a military barracks in London left one man dead and two suspects hospitalized Wednesday after a shootout with police. British Prime Minister David Cameron said the attack appeared to be terror related.
-
VIDEO: Orlando shootout tied to Boston bomb suspect
The FBI says it was involved in a fatal shooting near Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. CBS News senior correspondent John Miller reports that the victim was a friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother suspected in the Boston Marathon bombing.
-
10 Things to Know for Wednesday
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
-
Slideshow: Aftermath of massive tornado
Storm victims were pulled from the rubble and residents began surveying the damage late Monday and early Tuesday in the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, where a powerful tornado destroyed entire neighborhoods and left dozens dead.
-
10 Things to Know for Tuesday
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
-
Casey, Illinois aims for another world record
The town of Casey, Ill., may soon weave its way into the record books as the small town with the most world records. After setting records for the world’s largest wind chimes and the world’s largest golf tee, Casey is now looking to become home to the world’s largest knitting needles and crochet hook.
-
Afternoon Update: Fire chief says search almost complete in Oklahoma
The storm killed at least 24 people, including at least nine children.
-
2 children reported dead from Indianapolis fire
INDIANAPOLIS — Authorities say some autistic children lived in the Indianapolis condominium unit where a fire has killed two children.
-
Update: Oklahoma, other tornado-hit states brace for more
SHAWNEE, Okla. — When Lindsay Carter heard on the radio that a violent storm was approaching her rural Oklahoma neighborhood, she gathered her belongings and fled. When she returned, there was little left.
-
Taylor Swift wins 8 trophies at Billboard Awards
LAS VEGAS — Another day, another domination for Taylor Swift: She was the red hot winner at the Billboard Music Awards.
-
10 Things to Know for Monday
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Monday, May 20:
-
Mark Bennett: High-profile mural connects historical dots from city to river
At 96 feet wide and 2 stories tall, the power, impact and value of the Wabash will be evident.
-
Veterans take to the trees
Cristal Bednar took photos of her husband, Justin, as he laboriously climbed his way up a “Dangle-Duo” to get to a zipline at Indiana State University’s Sycamore Outdoor Center.
-
Powerball jackpot closing in on another record
DES MOINES, Iowa — Less than 10 months after three tickets split a world-record lottery prize, the jackpot for Saturday's Powerball drawing was nearing historic territory once again.
-
A battle of secret tactics
The embarrassing arrest of a suspected CIA officer in Moscow is the latest reminder that, even after the Cold War, the U.S. and Russia are engaged in an espionage battle with secret tactics, spying devices and training that sometimes isn't enough to avoid being caught.
-
UPDATE: Fire damages buildings in downtown Greencastle
GREENCASTLE, Ind. — Fire badly damaged several buildings today near the courthouse square in Greencastle, with flames shooting through the roofs as firefighters from several communities were called in to the central Indiana city to help.
-
Terre Haute to host MVC baseball championship in 2014
After 32 years, Terre Haute will once again host the Missouri Valley Conference baseball championship tournament next season.
-
Former Peabody mine to be industrial mega site
A new industrial mega site is ready for development in southwestern Vigo County.
-
Records: Cleveland suspect faced prior complaints
A man charged with holding three women captive for about a decade had been accused of threatening his neighbors, attacking his common-law wife and committing violations during his career as a school bus driver, according to records released Monday.
-
What are you doing this weekend?
Here are some suggestions from the Tribune-Star's 'BASH section.
-
Block where women found a friendly, careful place
The block where horror happened has many faces. On one end, magnificent stained-glass windows rise two stories up a handsome brick church. At the other end, truck bays open into a bleak warehouse. In between are about 20 houses, some tidy, some with boards or broken glass instead of windows. Back yards melt into a block-long cemetery filled with long grass and crooked tombstones.
-
Details emerge in Cleveland captivity case
In the years after his friend's daughter vanished while walking home from school, Ariel Castro handed out fliers with the 14-year-old's photo and performed music at a fundraiser held in her honor.
-
Gov. Otis Bowen dies at 95
Otis R. Bowen, who overhauled Indiana’s tax system as governor before helping oversee the federal response to the burgeoning AIDS epidemic during President Ronald Reagan’s second term, has died. He was 95.
-
George Jones, 81, dies today in Nashville
Nashville, Tenn. – Country Music Hall of Famer, Grand Ole Opry member, and Kennedy Center Honoree George Glenn Jones died today, April 26, 2013, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. He was hospitalized April 18 with fever and irregular blood pressure.
-
Cross-country walker finds new enlightenment on purposeful journey
With each mile, each new town, Dave Brown enlightens others and learns something himself. The 61-year-old Philadelphian left Atlantic City, N.J., on Feb. 28 on a walk across America along historic U.S. 40. His goal is to raise awareness of ovarian cancer,
-
VIDEO: 1 Boston bombing suspect dead; 1 on the run
A massive manhunt is under way in a Boston-area neighborhood for one of two suspects in Monday's Boston Marathon bombings. A second suspect is dead after a high-speed chase and shootout with police.
- More Top Story 2 Headlines
-
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty
Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists
Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
Boy Scouts Mom Supports Gay Inclusiveness
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
Raw: Scuffles in London After Hacking Death
Obama Renews Call to Close Gitmo
Chain-Reaction School Bus Crash Injures About 50
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy
Raw: 80-Year-Old Climbs Mount Everest
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
AK-47-wielding thug may be the most bumbling crook ever
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Trout's cycle a boost for Angels
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
Kim Kardashian Flaunts Pregnant Bikini Body in Greece
NBA star pledges $1M to help tornado recovery
Shakira's Shocking Talent
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air
GRAPHIC: Blood-Soaked Machete Killer Caught on Tape
Elin Nordegren Furious With Lindsey Vonn For Parading Kids in Public
Camera Captures Climber As He Loses Grip And Falls
Helen Mirren Meets with Dying Boy in Queen Elizabeth's Place
Crowd Chants '¡Si, Se Puede!' After Passage of Immigration Bill
DWTS Crowns a Winner
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Demi Moore a Rocks Bikini at Harry Morton's Family House
Anthony Weiner: I'm running for New York City mayor
Kate Middleton's Dress Flies Up
VIRAL: Baby makes epic soccer goal
The Hangover Baby All Grown Up
