With the great summer weather this year the parks are full of hikers and campers, the pools are filled with laughing children, and the bike paths are scattered with bicyclists.

With the great summer weather also comes bug bites, scraped knees, sunburn and over extending ourselves outdoors. Adults usually know when to slow down and take shelter in the shade, but children need to be reminded to slather on the sun block, wear safety helmets and drink plenty of liquids.

Because children are apt to get scrapes more often in the summer time one tip to hide the sight of blood is to wash the wound with a red washcloth. Another good idea is to keep a wet washcloth in the freezer to apply to bruises when needed.

Splinters

Besides scrapes and bruises, this is the time of year a child can get a splinter under their skin. Some splinters on the tougher parts of the body, such as the soles of the feet or knees, don’t cause irritation and can be left alone. But most splinters should be removed. If you leave one in uncalloused skin, it can get pushed further in and will become more difficult to extract. Over time the area may become infected or the splinter may break into pieces.

To remove a splinter:

1. Wash the area thoroughly with warm soapy water.

2. Sterilize a needle and tweezers with rubbing alcohol. Also have a bowl of ice cubes on hand.

3. In one hand, firmly hold the part of the child’s body where the splinter is located, leaving your other hand free to work. Numb the area by touching it with an ice cube until it just turns white -- 20 seconds at the most.

4. Hiding the needle from the child's gaze, scrape the skin away from the most superficial end of the splinter, then grasp the splinter with the tweezers and pull the splinter out at the same angle at which it entered the skin.

5. Apply an over the counter antibacterial ointment, and watch for signs of infection, (redness, swelling, or pus).

Call for medical help if the splinter is in a delicate area such as the face, the genitals, or under the nail, or if the splinter is long and very deep.

CPR training

Something that every day care operator and lifeguard knows is CPR. Parents should learn it too. Babies and toddlers are at a great risk of choking. They have a natural tendency to put things in their mouths, they can’t chew very well, and their upper airways become obstructed easily. Drowning, poisoning, or a severe electric shock can cause a child to stop breathing.

To perform CPR on an infant here is some supplemental information to be used with information learned in a complete CPR course that is taught through the Red Cross and the American Heart Assoc-iation:

1. Make sure the scene is safe for you to help.

2. Make sure you have universal precaution: gloves, pocket mask, etc.

3. Make sure you know how many patients you have.

4. Determine if they are conscious by tapping and shouting, &uot;Are you OK?&uot;

5. If no response, have someone call 911.

6. Position the patient on their back.

7. Open the airway with head-tilt chin-lift or jaw-thrust maneuver.

8. Look-listen and feeling for breaths. Check Breathing For

5-10 seconds.

9. If they aren’t breathing ventilate twice check puffs.

10. Check the pulse by palpating (feeling)- the brachial (arm). Check the pulse for 10 seconds.

11. If there is no pulse begin chest compressions at a rate of 5.

Sun protection

Constantly we are reminded to wear sunscreen. Children that get severe sunburns when young are more susceptible to skin cancer when they are older. A sun block is more protective to children’s skin than sunscreen. Factors of 39 and 55 are recommended when the sun is at its highest during the hours of 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Block the eyes from the glare of the sun, sand, and water. Polarized sunglasses block or cut the glare on a horizontal plane. To check to see if a pair of glasses is polarized, rotate the glasses at 90 degrees. If the glare changes, they are polarized.

If it is difficult to keep glasses on a child, try attaching a rubber band to the earpieces to form a grip.

Insects and allergies

Insect stings and bites are extremely common during the warm summer weather. Bee stings especially can be serious if your child is allergic to them. Signs of allergy are:

* Swelling that extends beyond two joints (except for fingers and toes)

* Headache

* Stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea

* Fever

* Drowsiness, fainting unconsciousness

* Spasms or convulsions

Sometimes there is a delayed reaction for as long as two weeks following the sting, If the child is allergic and does not have medication, get medical help and do the following:

* If the sting is on a leg, do not allow the victim to walk on it

* Keep the affected part below the level of the heart

* Apply cold cloths to the site of the sting

* If the victim’s breathing is weak, or if the lips of fingernails are bluish in color , apply mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Remove the stinger by gently scraping it out with sharp object such as a knife or your fingernail. Do not use tweezers or fingers as this may squeeze more venom into the sting.

Minor stings

Treat minor stings and mild reactions by removing the stinger and washing the area with soap and water. Dab antiseptic or anti-sting stick and apply cold compresses for about 30 minutes and then use a paste of baking soda and water. When itching starts, apply rubbing alcohol, after shave lotion or calamine lotion.

Prevent bites by wearing insect repellent and light-colored, loose fitting clothing.

Look, listen, and be aware of the weather when summer storms can develop quickly. Teach children how to protect themselves and learn to love and respect the great outdoors.

Sheila Donnelly can be reached at 434-2233 or by e-mail at :mailto:newsroom@austindailyherald.com