Hypothermia cases among kids on the rise

Dr. Yuri Weiner of Safed's Rebecca Sieff Hospital Hospital says parents should be on the alert and keep their children warm to avoid complications of hypothermia.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
rain boots 88 (photo credit: )
rain boots 88
(photo credit: )
The recent cold wave, especially in the North and hilly areas, has brought numerous young children suffering from hypothermia to hospital pediatric units in the last several days. Dr. Yuri Weiner of Safed's Rebecca Sieff Hospital Hospital said Tuesday that parents should be on the alert and keep their children warm to avoid complications of hypothermia, which can be fatal. In hypothermia cases, the core body temperature is lower than 35 degrees Celsius instead of the normal 37 degrees. Weiner, who is deputy director of the pediatrics department, said children under the age of four were most at risk. Low temperature in children can slow the heartbeat and lead to the development of infections. Rooms with babies and small children should be heated to 22 degrees. Parents are advised to keep a thermometer in the room to monitor the heat, as overheating can be dangerous as well. Signs of hypothermia vary according to age. Infants up to two months old exhibit apathy and a tendency to sleep most of the time, while in children aged two months to two years, the symptoms are persistent crying and lethargy. In such cases, the child should be undressed in a warm environment and checked for red and blue spots. Children aged three and four suffering from hypothermia may complain about pain in their hands and the soles of their feet. Parents should immediately check for changes in skin color in their extremities. At any age, the child's chest and abdomen should be checked for cold temperatures. Weiner added that home oral thermometers do not accurately measure hypothermia. If you suspect hypothermia, he said, take the child to an emergency room immediately. In any case, the child should be dressed warmly and his or her body covered with a blanket on the way to the hospital. The elderly also tend to suffer from hypothermia, so they and the temperatures of their environments should be monitored as well.