High temperatures dangerous for children

By Grace Rattue
Medical News Today

Summer is officially here and temperatures across the nation are soaring. Although the heat wave is welcomed by many after a cold winter, the increase in temperature is especially dangerous for children, who are more likely to sustain a heat-injury than adults.

Jerold Stirling, chair of the department of pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and pediatrician at Loyola University Health System, explained:

"Kids bodies don't acclimate to the heat as well as adults. They don't sweat as effectively. They absorb more heat since they have smaller bodies and a higher ratio of surface area to body mass."

According to Stirling, it is vital that children, no matter how old they are or where they are, are supervised when the temperatures reach these extreme levels. He explains that one of the greatest dangers is leaving a child in a car unattended on a hot day.

Read the full article here.