Weather Safety

From sun protection to ensuring to stay hydrated, understanding the best practices for different temperatures and weather conditions can help prevent heatstroke, sunburn, and frostbite. Check out our pages on Outdoor Safety and Water Safety for more.

Babies Less Than 1 Year Old

Hydration for everyone is important in the hot summer. Babies can stay hydrated with frequent breastfeeding or bottle feeding (breastmilk or formula both hydrate as well as provide necessary nutrients). It is recommended that babies under 6 months drink exclusively breast milk or formula. You can find more information about when to introduce water here. If you are breastfeeding, be sure you are well-hydrated and drinking enough water.

It is also incredibly important to protect babies from the sun. Babies have very delicate, sensitive skin. Under 6 months old, they should be kept in shade and out of direct sunlight.

When warm out, keep them cool and protected by dressing baby in a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt and pants, brimmed hat, and sunglasses. Younger than 6 months, sunscreen should be limited to small areas that cannot be covered such as the face. Older than 6 months, sunscreen can be applied to the entire body. If your baby is younger than 1 year and gets sunburn, call your baby’s doctor right away.

Children Older than 1 Year

For children older than 1 year, most of the same guidelines apply. Avoiding the heat of the day, covering up, and wearing (and reapplying) sunscreen are the best ways to stay safe in the summer sun. The biggest difference as they get older is hydrating. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “To stay well hydrated, children ages 1-3 years need approximately 4 cups of beverages per day, including water or milk. This increases for older kids to around 5 cups for 4-8 year olds, and 7-8 cups for older children.” During the summer or while active in sports, these amounts will likely need to be increased.

In the cooler months, the rule of thumb for older babies and young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions. Be aware of frostbite, when the skin and outer tissues become frozen. and hypothermia, when a child’s temperature falls below normal due to exposure to colder temperatures.

Learn about drink recommendations for all ages at
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/recommended-drinks-for-young-children-ages-0-5.aspx
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/Choose-Water-for-Healthy-Hydration.aspx

Do NOT leave children in the car by themselves. 

The average number of U.S. child hot car deaths is 38 per year with more than 88% being age 3 and younger. Leaving the windows open and/or parking in the shade are both not shown to have a significant decrease in how quickly the temperature rises or the maximum temperature in the vehicle. Leaving a young child in the car is not only incredibly dangerous but knowingly leaving a child under the age of 12 unsupervised in a vehicle is illegal in the state of Connecticut.

Learn More about Heat, Cold, Sun Exposure, and Hydration
https://www.wheresbaby.org/
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Sun-Safety-and-Protection-Tips.aspx
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Protecting-Children-from-Extreme-Heat-Information-for-Parents.aspx
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Cold-Weather-Safety.aspx