"Extreme hot weather can trigger heat stroke in babies. This is a condition that can be fatal in infants, so it is important to prevent it by knowing the characteristics of heat stroke." Mothers, be aware of the condition of heat stroke in infants. Lately, extreme hot weather has become a concern for everyone.
When a person's body temperature rises drastically more than the body's ability to cool down, he or she can experience a condition called heat stroke.
This is a condition that can be dangerous for everyone, especially babies whose temperature regulation systems are not yet fully formed. Therefore, mothers need to know how to prevent heat stroke from occurring in babies.
The most appropriate way to do this prevention is to know the early characteristics of heat stroke before it occurs in children. Check out what the following features are!
Characteristics of Heat Stroke in Babies
Because a baby who is several months old will find it difficult to communicate the condition of the body he is experiencing, mothers need to know the characteristics of heat stroke in babies that can be seen from their bodies.
Its characteristics include:
1. The baby's high body temperature when experiencing heat stroke
The most important feature of heat stroke in infants is a high body temperature. Under normal conditions, a baby's body temperature is 36-37 degrees Celsius. However, in the case of heat stroke, the body temperature can exceed 39 degrees Celsius or higher.
Measuring the baby's body temperature with a thermometer can help identify if there is a significant increase in body temperature.
2. Crying because it is uncomfortable
Babies who experience heat stroke will tend to show behavior such as restlessness, fussiness, and crying. In addition, they may also exhibit muscle weakness or coordination problems.
This can happen due to discomfort and fatigue. As the body temperature rises, more sweat will be released and the discomfort will prompt crying from the baby. Therefore, their body will expend more energy and feel tired.
3. Heat stroke causes dry and cold skin
When a heat stroke is about to occur, the body will try to neutralize body temperature again. So, the skin can feel cold to the touch even though it is sweating. The skin can also feel dry due to the release of fluids through sweat.
To find out this, the mother can touch the baby's skin, especially in the head, neck and chest area.
4. Fluctuating breathing and fast heart rate
Heat stroke in babies can also affect their heart rate and breathing. A baby's heartbeat that is too fast or irregular and breathing that is fluctuating or fast can be signs of heat stroke.
This feature is one that is quite dangerous for babies, therefore your little one must immediately get a doctor's treatment.
5. Seizures or loss of consciousness
When the body temperature rises significantly, the impact can occur negatively on the body's organs, including the brain. High temperatures can damage nerve cells and interfere with the normal functioning of the central nervous system. This can trigger abnormal neurological reactions, such as seizures or loss of consciousness.
In addition, this condition can also affect blood circulation and brain oxygenation due to narrowed blood vessels, so that children lose consciousness or have seizures.
If a child has a seizure in hot weather, the mother must move quickly to provide treatment so that the temperature drops.
Those are the various characteristics of heat stroke in babies.