Marija has a two-month-old baby and many questions about how her son can endure this year's heat as painlessly as possible.
It doesn't help that she likes summer and being warm.
"I'm a freak, because this is my favorite time.
"Still, it's problematic with the baby because that's why I keep thinking that it's unbearable for him and when I'm not, that it's too hot for him, even though I'm fine," describes the 37-year-old Belgrade woman of her own dilemma.
Although they cool the apartment in New Belgrade with an air conditioner, the temperature is set to 26-27 degrees, her husband, on the other hand, has a hard time bearing the heat, so he constantly asks if they should take off the baby, so that he can be without a diaper.
"So it's always fun," he adds.
- How to use the air conditioner safely
- How to get a good night's sleep when it's hot
- Is it possible to cool the house during hot summer days
They go for a walk with the baby after nine in the evening, but then they fight with mosquitoes.
"At home these days we bathe him every day, although so far we have been bathing him once every seven days.
"We sleep under the air conditioner, but we bought an air deflector for the device so that the cold air goes to the ceiling. Before the baby, we didn't even know it existed," says Marija with a smile.
BBC in Serbian brings you five tips for parents based on the recommendations of pediatrician Saša Milićević i British Health Services.
Protect children from the sun
Babies younger than six months should be kept away from direct sunlight.
Their skin contains too little melanin, the pigment that gives color to the skin, hair and eyes and provides some protection from the sun.
Older babies should also be kept out of the sun as much as possible, especially during the summer and between 11 a.m. and 15 p.m., when the sun is at its strongest, although sometimes that's when they leave the nursery.
If you go out in hot weather, attach a sunshade to the stroller to protect it from direct sunlight.
Then you should only walk in the shade, and the child should wear a cap, says pediatrician Saša Milićević.
During the day in the room to be 24 degrees
If you are in an apartment, it is best that the air conditioners are set to around 24 degrees during the day.
If you don't have air conditioning, you can cool off with a fan or a bottle of cold water.
"A draft can also be created, but the child should not be directly on it wet from sweat or immediately after bathing, because then ear infections can occur in younger children, and sinus infections in older children.
"For children, as well as for us adults, it is valid to shower several times a day with lukewarm or cool water in hot weather," says Milićević.
Too cold water narrows the blood vessels and then the temperature is released less, he adds.
Keep your child's bedroom cool during the day by closing blinds or curtains, advises the UK Health Service.
If your baby pushes off the covers during the night, consider putting her in a diaper only with a tightly secured sheet that won't come loose and cover her face or get tangled during the night.
The baby will sleep most comfortably when it is between 16 and 20 degrees in her room.
Children should be comfortable even when they sleep, a thin cotton T-shirt and a diaper is enough.
Margarita has a 13-month-old daughter and additional dilemmas.
For her, very cold rooms, such as shops and shopping centers, which she sometimes has to enter with her child, are equally problematic.
She tries to find the ideal temperature in the apartment, but when the concrete heats up and the temperature outside reaches almost 40 degrees, it is not easy for her to achieve it.
"I'm more relaxed than last year, because she's grown, but the child sneezes because of the climate and that huge temperature change," she says.
They put a pool on the terrace and there they play with plastic toys when the sun is not directly warming them, and they only walk in the morning or in the evening.
"So that she doesn't go into the cold house right away, I change her clothes outside, then inside I blow dry her hair faster and better," adds Margarita.
Since the child wears a diaper, of which she has an extra one, she tries to be in the house only in it or in a cotton T-shirt.
"I put talcum powder under my neck and under my armpits so that it doesn't get scratched and that's it," says the 35-year-old mother.
Not suddenly from hot to cold
It is very important to take care that the temperature difference between the air conditioner and the outside temperature is not large.
The same applies to getting into the car, appeals the pediatrician.
"When you get into the car, it can be like a real oven, it would be best if dad or mom gets in first to cool down, and only then the baby.
"If a baby gets into a car from 40 degrees outside, where it's 20 degrees, it can be a real temperature shock, and in babies, the center for thermoregulation is insufficiently developed," he explains.
That's why, he says, children get cold very quickly, but also get warm very easily.
"In our country, traditionally, everyone is afraid that the baby will not catch a cold, but no one thinks about the fact that it can overheat, which can be just as dangerous," says Milićević.
When you want to check if your baby is hot, and you don't have a thermometer, touch her stomach or back.
For similar reasons, part of the doctors believe that it can be risky for a baby up to six months to go to the sea, especially the longer it stays in a car or plane, says Saša Milićević.
"If they travel by plane, it can be a bigger problem - there is one temperature at the airport, another on the plane, and a third when they land, especially in African resorts, such as Tunisia and Egypt," notes the doctor.
How do you know that a child has experienced temperature shock?
The child wakes up in case of temperature shock flushed in the face, confused, weak, says the pediatrician.
"If he knows how to talk, then he complains that he has a headache, if it's less - sometimes he refuses a meal or sucking and is moody, whiny.
"If it is directly exposed to the sun, sunstroke occurs, if it is in a closed room, such as a car, then heatstroke occurs," the doctor points out.
The symptoms are similar: exhaustion, vomit, sleepiness, elevated temperature.
That is why it is important to monitor the child more than usual in hot weather.
It's normal for their hands and feet to be colder, but it shouldn't be too much, he says.
"If a child refuses to suck or eat from a bottle, it may mean that something is wrong.
"That's why we pediatricians regularly ask ``how does the child eat,'' he notes.
While Maria took her two-month-old son to the baby spa in the hot days of the past, where children bathe floating with tires around their necks in the water, Margarita recently visited a public pool for the first time with her daughter, who is still crawling and learning to walk.
She applied SPF 50 cream to her face and put a hat on her.
"We had a good time, except that my back is red, because I was shading her when she is not under the umbrella," he says with a smile.
In the shade and at the pool, sunscreen is a must
Swimming pools are a great thing, as long as they are in the shade, says Milićević.
"On the terrace in the city, or on the beach is also a good thing.
"In a pool with sea water, in the shade, the baby can be perfectly fine," he says.
Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 to your baby's skin.
Make sure the product also protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
Many brands make sunscreens specifically for babies and toddlers, as these products are less likely to have additives that can irritate the skin.
Apply sunscreen regularly, especially if your child is in and out of the sea or pool.
Put your child in a sun hat with a wide brim or a long flap at the back to protect their head and neck from the sun.
Watch the video: Tips for sunbathing
"A baby can grow even in the shade due to the reflection of the sun's rays from the surface of the sea, lake, even sand or gravel.
"That's why it's important to rub under an umbrella," notes the pediatrician.
For cooling, a baby spa can be a good choice, just make sure that the chlorine concentration is not high, because babies and children are sensitive to it.
The high level of chlorine, which is added to the pool water for disinfection, can cause skin or respiratory irritation in children, especially in those prone to allergies or asthma.
He can also get conjunctivitis, redness of the sclera due to the large amount of chlorine.
Water, water, water or breast milk
What applies to adults also applies to children, in the summer they need more water and fluids.
That's why Margarita regularly gives her daughter water, juices and light food.
This is exactly what the experts advise.
"Children have a greater need for liquids than adults, and since they don't know how to ask for water, we should constantly offer them.
"Adults should also drink water, two to three sips of water every 20 minutes, in order to prevent any degree of dehydration," the doctor points out.
If we are thirsty, it means that a mild degree of dehydration has already followed, experts warn.
Babies' bodies have much more water than adults, which is why dehydration can be life-threatening.
If the child is breastfeeding, the mother should breastfeed him more often than usual on hot days, because there is a certain amount of water in the milk.
If he is given water, then it is important to give it between feedings, says the pediatrician.
If the child is older than 12 months - water, mother's milk or full-fat cow's milk should be the main drinks of the baby, say British doctors.
In warm weather, you can try giving them frozen lollipops made from plain water or very diluted fruit juice to help them stay hydrated.
Give older children plenty of fruit and salad to help keep them hydrated.
Undiluted fruit juice or smoothies should not be given to children until they are five years old, as they can cause tooth decay.
Symptoms of dehydration in adults and children:
- feeling thirsty
- dark yellow urine with a strong smell
- urinating less often than usual
- dizziness
- humor
- dry mouth, lips and tongue
- dark circles
Signs of dehydration in a baby can also be:
- Sunken fontanelles (soft spot) on top of head
- little or no tears when they cry
- not many wet diapers
- drowsiness or irritability
Source: UK Health Service
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