Record heat in Naples: pediatricians' advice for children's health

Naples. "These days' temperatures, with peaks exceeding 30 degrees, risk compromising the health of little ones. That's why we've chosen to reach out to mothers and fathers to raise awareness and warn them." This is according to Antonio D'Avino, national vice president of the Italian Federation of Pediatricians (FIMPA), who is concerned about the sudden rise in temperatures in these first weeks of June and the weather experts' forecasts for July. "This year," says the pediatrician, "we've literally skipped spring; we've gone from rainy and cool weather to scorching heat in the space of a day. As they say: overnight. We're seeing that many young patients are experiencing problems because their bodies haven't had time to adapt, and many parents, due to inexperience, haven't yet understood the importance of avoiding the hottest hours and prolonged exposure to the sun." Antonio D'Avino recalls that the Ministry of Health has activated, again for the summer of 2019, the national heat wave prevention system, through which it is possible to consult real-time online data for 27 Italian cities, including Naples.

A fundamental tool, even more so because children are extremely sensitive to temperatures and the risk of dehydration. "The mechanism is largely linked to sweating, the little ones sweat more and are unable to disperse heat effectively. Children who have not yet started to talk, beyond crying, are not able to make the parent understand what their needs are, which is why it is important to make them drink". And then there are the risks linked to air conditioning and going out at inappropriate times. Pediatricians clarify that it is not a bad thing to cool the rooms, but it is crucial to avoid lowering the temperature too much. The ideal is to keep a temperature that is no more than 3 degrees less than the outside temperature and obviously avoid sudden temperature changes, between hot and cold and vice versa.
During the central hours of the day, the child must be kept at home or in a cool place. If you take him to the beach, you must absolutely avoid the time between 11 am and 17 pm. “It is important,” concludes D’Avino, “to pay great attention to nutrition: it is better to choose lots of fruit and vegetables, which contain a high percentage of liquids and mineral salts, which are lost through sweating. Few fats, which are needed by the body to produce heat, which, clearly, there is no need for. It is imperative to always have a bottle of water or a bottle with you, to give the child a drink whenever he is thirsty. If he is still breastfed, it is best to reduce the time between one feeding and the next.”