Small girl suffers from severe heatstroke when sleeping in her bedroom

When your little one goes to sleep, safe in her bed, would you ever imagine she might not wake up again? One mum warns all parents about the very real danger of heat stroke and kids – even when indoors.

In a shocking incident, a small girl suffered from severe heatstroke while sleeping in her bedroom. Mum Jennifer Abma shared a picture of her daughter Anastasia on Facebook along with a post that warned parents about heatstroke and kids.

Image: Screengrab from Metro

Here’s what she has to say to parents about heatstroke and kids

Jennifer shared that her daughter was napping in her bedroom. When she went to check on Anastasia, the little one was soaked in sweat, her face had become red, and she was boiling hot to the touch.

Jennifer tried to wake her up. But when she was unable to, she immediately called for an ambulance. She posted about this incident saying:

Image: Screengrab from Metro

Abma’s Facebook and Instagram posts about this incident quickly went viral. They were shared over 46,000 times with more than 11,000 reactions to it. Obviously, heatstroke and kids is a topic that many parents are concerned about.

Heatstroke and kids: How to be careful even when kids are indoors

We think that just because our kids are indoors, that they are safe from heatstroke. This is even more true when they are “safe” in their bedrooms, fast asleep. But one thing that many of us might not pay proper attention to is ventilation in bedrooms (and in the house).

Poor ventilation can lead to heatstroke in older kids as mum Jennifer found out, and in babies, it may contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

You can follow these useful tips to help your kids stay safe indoors

Image: File Image

1. Ensure good ventilation in the room

Mums, if you don’t have a ceiling fan, then use a pedestal fan in your baby’s room to make sure the room is well-ventilated.

The fan helps circulate the air, reducing the risk of babies breathing in the carbon dioxide they exhale. This also helps in lowering the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome by 72 percent in small babies, as pointed out by researchers. 

While placing a fan in your baby’s room, keep it away from your little one’s reach (they should not be able to touch it). Also ensure it is not aimed directly at your child’s face. 

2. Maintain the right temperature in the room

The ideal room temperature for children above the age of two years is 24ºC if you are using an air conditioner. At this temperature, their body is not fighting to stay cool or trying to warm up. It’s a temperature that suits babies of this age.

But in the case of a newborn or a small infant, remember to lower the temperature to 18 to 20ºC. Small babies are often dressed in a footed sleep-suit, swaddled or placed in a sleeping bag.

Even after lowering the temperature, keep checking on your little one by putting your hand at the base of her neck where it meets the spine. If your baby is too hot or cold, adjust the room temperature accordingly.

3. Dress your baby in appropriate clothes

You can dress your babies in footed onesies or sleep swaddles or sacks. Dressing them up in loose or tightly fitted clothes that have ribbons and ties is not advisable as these pose a strangulation risk. Apart from this, you should also keep pillows, soft toys or blankets away from the cot or crib.

Dress your older kids in comfortable nightwear like cotton pyjamas and t-shirts. Avoid dressing them in very warm nightclothes as this may put them at risk of overheating.

Source: Metro

ALSO READ: The best nightwear for kids: An age-by-age guide