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Checklist:
Sun Safety
Note:
The information for this checklist is from the American Academy of
Pediatrics: www.aap.org.
Keep infants in the shade. The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends that babies should be kept out of the direct sunlight. Move
baby to the shade or under a tree, umbrella, or the stroller canopy.
Dress Babies Appropriately. Dress babies in lightweight clothing
that covers the arms and legs and use brimmed hats.
Apply the Sunscreen. Children over 6 months and adults should wear
sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15.
Apply the Sunscreen
Often. Apply sunscreen 20-30 minutes before going out in the sun.
Once in the sun, re-apply at least every 1-2 hours. Apply again after
being in the water (even if the sunscreen claims to be waterproof) and
after sweating - from work, play or exercise.
Apply sunscreen all over.. The American Academy of Dermatology
cautions not to forget to apply sunscreen to the nose, lips, ears and
backs of hands and feet!
Plan your outdoor time wisely. If you can, avoid long exposure
to the sun during mid-day (10am to 4pm) when the sun's rays are the
most powerful.
Cover-up. Protective clothing helps. Always try to wear wide-brim
hat or viser. Wear sunglasses that block 99-100% of both UVA and UVB
sun radiation. (If sunglasses don't have a UV label on them, don't buy
them). Wear tightly woven clothing as it is best at blocking the sun.
In fact, if you can see light through the fabric, UV rays can also come
through - so be careful! The clothing should fit loosely, be lightweight
and be colored.
Watch, read or listen for UV Index from your local news source.
Developed by the National Weather Service and the Environmental Protection
Agency, the UV Index provides a forecast of the expected risk of overexposure
to the sun and indicates the degree of caution you should take when
outdoors. On a scale of 0 through 10, 0 presents little risk and a 10
represents very high risk of overexposure to the sun.
Avoiding heat stress
Limit Intensity of Acticity.
The intensity of activities that last 15 minutes or more should be reduced
whenever relative humidity, solar radiation, and air temperature are
high. One way of increasing rest periods on a hot day is to substitute
players frequently.
Monitor Intensity of Acticity.
At the beginning of a strenuous exercise program or after traveling
to a warmer climate, the intensity and duration of exercise should be
limited initially and then gradually increased during a period of 10
to 14 days to accomplish acclimatization to the heat. When such a period
is not available, the length of time for participants during practice
and competition should be curtailed.
Keep Hydrated.
Before prolonged physical activity, the child should be well-hydrated.
During the activity, periodic drinking should be enforced, eg, each
20 minutes, 5 oz of cold tap water or a flavored salted beverage for
a child weighing 88 lbs, and 9 oz for an adolescent weighing 132 lbs,
even if the child does not feel thirsty. Weighing before and after a
training session can verify hydration status if the child is weighed
wearing little or no clothing.
Dress Appropriately.
Clothing should be light-colored and lightweight and limited to one
layer of absorbent material to facilitate evaporation of sweat. Sweat-saturated
garments should be replaced by dry garments.
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