Summer rocks; fresh air, cool evening breezes, the beach! But summer can come with a few downsides as well. There are some key safety concerns you need to be aware of this summer in order to keep your warm sunny days happy.
The five baby dangers of summer: SUN: The sun can burn anyone but babies are more prone to sunburn dangers due to their delicate skin.
Always use sunscreen, stay inside or in the shade during the sunniest times of day (10-4 give or take), and dress your baby in lightweight clothing that still covers her skin.
HEAT: Heat dangers are different than sun dangers. Becoming overheated is not the same as having a sunburn. Your baby may not look red and burned, but she still might be too hot. Make sure your baby is
well hydrated, dress her in cool breathable clothing, and look out for signs of
heat rash.
WATER: Swimming pools can be cool summer fun, but they can also
expose your baby to icky germs. Top that off with the fact that drowning is a
leading cause of death among the under five set, and water play becomes dangerous play. Keep it safe with the
best water safety tips and
swimming pool safety tips for baby.
BUGS: Buggies are no fun, come out in droves during the summer, and can be especially harmful to your child.
Prevent bug itch before it starts, always apply
safe bug spray for babies, look out for
bee stings, and learn how to
treat bug bites on babies.
CARS: You should NEVER ever leave your baby in a car alone. Not even if you're just running inside a gas staion to pay or back into your house to grab your phone super quick. This is a year-round danger but in the summer it becomes even more deadly. It takes very little time for a baby to
die in a hot car. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
temperatures inside a car during the summer can climb from 78 degrees to 100 degrees in just three minutes. Within six to eight minutes, the temperature inside the car can reach 125 degrees. The best advice is that if you get out of the car your baby goes with you.
