Child Safety for Cold Weather: #WhereTheHeartIs

Celebrated as the month of love, February is also known for its cold temperatures - temperatures that drive most adults inside, but invite children out to play in snow and ice. But while these weather conditions provide the landscape for active days and fond memories for little ones, winter also poses additional safety risks. 

Sledding, Skiing and Snowboarding 

Researchers found that the most common cause of hospitalized sledding injury from 2003 to 2011 was the child’s sled hitting a tree. Of the 52 children studied, 20 suffered head injury, and three had a permanent disability. So, what can you do to help protect your sledder’s immediate safety and long-term well-being? Have your little one wear a helmet while sledding, and start a dialogue with other parents, encouraging them to do the same. This advice also goes for skiing and snowboarding, applications in which kids and teens should also wear goggles and windproof, water-resistant outerwear. 

Frostbite 

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MN DPS) defines frostbite as the “freezing of skin and extremities on the body.” Noses, cheeks, ears, fingers and toes are most commonly affected by frostbite, and it’s important to remember that nobody is exempt from this risk. Symptoms include pale/gray skin color, numbness, burning, tingling, itching, blisters and skin hardness.

If your does develop frostbite, here’s advice from the MN DPS:

• Get the person to a warm place - a building, shelter or warm vehicle, as soon as possible and then seek immediate medical help or call 911. 
• Softly handle or warm the area gently; never rub the affected area.
• Gently warm up by slowly soaking the affected area in lukewarm water (100-104 degrees F) until it appears red and feels warm. Do not expose directly or close to a fire. 
• Loosely bandage the area with dry, sterile dressings.
• If the person’s fingers or toes are frostbitten, place dry, sterile gauze between them to keep them separated. 
• Avoid breaking any blisters.
• Do not allow the area to refreeze. 

To help prevent frostbite altogether,  children should wear loose clothing layers. The three layers everyone should wear, according to WebMD:

1. The first should be of a material that helps keep you dry.
2. The second goes over the first and should be made of an insulator like wool or fleece.
3. The third should be worn on top and should be wind- and waterproof. 

Hypothermia

Extremely cold weather can cause you to lose heat too fast, and that’s called hypothermia. Symptoms include sleepiness, confusion, clumsiness, shivering, numbness, glassy stare, numbness, apathy, weakness, impaired judgment, incoherent speech and loss of consciousness. It’s important to note that babies, as well as the elderly, are more susceptible to hypothermia. 

If your child does develop hypothermia, here’s advice from the MN DPS: 

• Get the person to a warm place - a building, shelter or warm vehicle, as soon as possible and then seek immediate medical help or call 911. 
• Remove any wet clothing and dry the person. 
• Warm the person slowly by wrapping in blankets or by putting dry clothing on the person. Hot water bottles and chemical hot packs may be used when first wrapped in a towel or blanket before applying. User your own body as a heat source if necessary. 
• Do not warm the person too quickly, such as by immersing him or her in warm water or close exposure to a fire. Rapid warning may cause dangerous heart arrhythmias. Warm the core first (trunk, abdomen), not the extremities (hands, feet). This is important to mention because most people will try to warm hands and feet first and that can cause shock. 
• Monitor breathing and circulation.
• Give rescue breathing and CPR if needed.  

To help prevent hypothermia altogether, Mayo Clinic recommends remembering COLD:

• Cover - Have your child wear a hat, mittens and scarf to help retain warmth in the head, face, neck and extremities. 
• Overexertion - Warn children against activities that make them sweat, as that will make the body lose heat more quickly.
• Layers - Loose-fitting, layered and lightweight clothing should do the trick. Protect your child from the wind by choosing tightly-woven, water-repellent outerwear. Choose wool, silk and polypropylene over cotton for the inner layers.
• Dry - Stay as dry as possible! That means changing your kids out of wet clothes, and asking them to do their best to keep snow out of mittens and boots.

Children need to come inside frequently to warm up. If your child or someone they’re out playing with starts shivering, bring them inside immediately!

Personal Alarms Allow Children to Call for Help

Some emergencies - especially hypothermia - might render your child unable to speak, let alone yell. In this case, they’d need an easy-to-use tool to help let others know they’re in danger. By outfitting your child with a SABRE personal alarm, you’re giving them the ability to emit a call for help audible up to 600’ (183M) away. 

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Any other advice for keeping children safe outdoors? Share your thoughts with @SabreRed on Twitter using the hashtag #WhereTheHeartIs. 

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