Summer is the time when many families take advantage of taking their children on trips and vacations after a year of studying. However, besides preparing a schedule and fun activities, parents also need to pay attention to taking care of children's health so that the trip is safe and complete.
BSCKII Nguyen Thi Thanh Van, Head of the Outpatient Department, Hanoi Children's Hospital, said that in long trips or long journeys with family, children are prone to some health problems.
According to doctors, hot summer weather can cause children to get heatstroke, heatstroke, or dehydration. In addition, sudden changes in environment such as playing outdoors in the hot sun and immediately going into a cold air-conditioned room can increase the risk of respiratory diseases.
In addition, children are also prone to digestive disorders due to changes in diet or using unhygienic foods during travel. Some other problems such as sunburn, skin irritation or insect bites also often occur when children participate in outdoor activities.
To proactively protect children's health throughout the trip, parents should prepare some necessary medical items such as fever reducers, electrolyte rehydration solutions, probiotics, physiological saline to clean the nose and throat, thermometers and basic first aid items such as cotton and personal bandages.
Regarding diet, doctors recommend prioritizing cooked foods that are hygienic, limiting raw, processed, or strange foods that can cause digestive disorders in children.
When traveling in the summer, parents also need to limit children's direct exposure to sunlight from 10 am to 4 pm - a time when UV rays are high intensity. Children should play in shady areas, drink enough water and avoid sudden changes in environmental temperature.
For water activities, parents need to closely monitor children, even when they already know how to swim, to prevent unfortunate incidents that may occur.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Van noted that if abnormal signs such as fever, cough or fatigue appear in children during travel, parents can give children fever-reducing medicine. However, if symptoms do not improve or worsen, children need to be taken to the nearest medical facility for examination and timely treatment.
