Heat stroke symptoms in children and how to prevent them
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Dr. Darmawan Budi Setyanto, Sp.A, Subsp.Respi(K), chairman of the Environmental Health and Climate Change Task Force of the Indonesian Association of Pediatric Doctors (IDAI), reminded of the importance of regulating outdoor activities and ensuring adequate fluid intake for children amid extreme heat during the dry season, in line with the threat posed by the El Niño Godzilla phenomenon.
In an online seminar on the impact of El Niño on children’s health initiated by IDAI, on Tuesday, Darmawan said this effort is also to prevent children from the risk of heat stroke, a condition where the body becomes overheated (hyperthermia), in which body temperature rises and the body’s temperature regulation system is disrupted or even fails.
“What needs to be emphasised is the habit of drinking. It is emphasised for children to carry a bottle of water and drink frequently,” he said.
In the midst of this extreme weather, many children still have to carry out their daily activities, which often take place outdoors.
Darmawan said prolonged heat can cause dehydration in children, especially during outdoor activities.
He said children often do not drink promptly because they do not feel thirsty, even though the body still needs fluids to maintain metabolism and the regulation of body temperature.
“Sometimes children, if they do not feel thirsty, do not want to drink. This needs to be emphasised that water is very important to maintain our body’s regulation; our metabolism will continue to function properly,” he added.
Darmawan also urged parents to get their children used to drinking warm water and not be easily swayed by advertisements for cold drinks.
“We should change the slogan from ‘cold tastes better’ to ‘warm tastes better and is healthier’,” he said.
In that occasion, Darmawan reminded parents to recognise early signs of heat stroke so it can be treated promptly before the condition worsens.
He explained that heat stroke occurs when the body’s temperature regulation mechanism is disrupted due to exposure to very high environmental temperatures.
“What are the signs? The temperature rises rapidly, it can exceed 40 degrees Celsius, there is no sweating, but the skin is hot,” he said.
He explained that this condition occurs because the body fails to dissipate heat through sweating, causing the body temperature to rise drastically. In severe cases, heat stroke can cause brain dysfunction, seizures and loss of consciousness.
“And another effect is that we can see the breathing of a person with heat stroke is fast and shallow,” he added.