Texas is known to be a very, very hot place to live. The summers can be brutal, with temperatures in July and August reaching 96-104 degrees on a daily basis. You could be from North Texas, the greater Houston area, central Texas, or West Texas, and you know exactly how merciless Texas summers can be.
Temperatures this high can pose extreme danger to anyone, but children are particularly at risk. Heatstroke, a form of hyperthermia, is one of the main causes of death in children under the age of 15.
Children often don’t know when to recognize the signs of heatstroke—especially when they’re playing and having fun. They don’t know that their bodies are overheating and shutting down. Daycare providers need to know the severity of this issue and use good judgment to know when enough is enough. Parents are trusting these caregivers to represent their children well and to provide the same level of care that a parent would.
What Is Heat Stroke?
Heatstroke in children is a condition caused when a child’s body overheats. The most serious forms of heat stroke occur when a child’s body temperature rises to 104 degrees Fahrenheit or above. Symptoms of heatstroke include high temperatures, headaches, nausea, rapid heart rate, flushed skin, dehydration, loss of balance, and altered mental state (haziness).
Kids in Texas Might Be More Susceptible to Heat Stroke
Young people often have a lower tolerance to extreme heat. In very young people, the central nervous system is not fully developed yet. This means that your body is not able to deal with or handle the changes in body temperature caused by long exposures to sunlight or hot temperatures. It causes the kids to struggle to maintain proper hydration, which is another risk factor of getting heatstroke for kids.
What Can Happen If Heat Stroke is Not Quickly Responded to?
Heatstroke can result in serious damages and even death if not quickly and adequately handled. Heatstrokes can lead to vital organ damages, particularly brain damage as a result of swelling. This is a serious topic and is easily missed by these daycare centers.
What Precautions Should Texas Daycares Take to Prevent Heatstroke in Young Kids?
There are many things daycare centers and providers can do to prevent heat stroke for the kids they are responsible for taking care of. However, a simple list is:
- Don’t let the kids play outside when the temperature is 100 degrees or hotter
- Don’t let the kids be outside for more than 2-3 hours at a time during the summer if the temperature is in the 90s
- Supervise the kids and look at their faces to pay attention to their faces being flushed
- Provide water before, during, and after they play outside.
Each daycare provider should be trained on the signs, symptoms, and care protocols of what to do if a child is in the early stages of heatstroke.
- What do you do?
- Who do you call?
- What can you do while waiting on EMS?
There are specific training courses on heatstroke and heat-related medical care that daycares in Texas should provide to their employees.
How Can The Button Law Firm Help?
We envision a world where kids can go to daycare and not be harmed or killed as a result of heatstroke. It is better for childcare providers to be proactive than reactive. But if heatstroke does occur, make sure that the providers know what to do to prevent it from causing injury or even death to the child.
We make sure to get to the bottom of what happened and why. Parents deserve answers. Unfortunately, in heatstroke cases, we see that parents are not told the real truth, which we ultimately end up discovering about what happened and how preventable it was.
Learn More About Cases Involving Injuries or Deaths to Children at Daycare Facilities
If you or a loved one has had a heatstroke while at a Texas daycare facility, reach out to us at 214-699-4409 or email us at [email protected]. Our daycare team is ready to handle all your needs and answer any questions you may have. If your child is hurt, the last thing you want to do is deal with a legal battle. Let us guide you through that process so you can focus on your child’s medical treatment and your family.