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The Dangers of Winter
How to Keep Your Kids Safe
By Barb Eimer
Although not as common as frostbite, hypothermia is another threat posed by extreme weather conditions. Hypothermia occurs when your body can't produce enough energy to keep its internal temperature constant. It can be fatal, with most deaths attributed to heart failure. The very young and the very old are most susceptible to hypothermia.
Hypothermia is most likely to result from an injury in a cold environment, submersion in cold water or a prolonged exposure to low temperatures without adequate protective clothing. Hypothermia cases can be mild, moderate or severe.
Symptoms of hypothermia include lack of physical coordination, mental confusion, shivering and sluggishness. If you suspect hypothermia, get your child into dry clothes (including socks and a hat), cover him with blankets and give him food and warm, sweet drinks. Never give a victim of hypothermia coffee, tea or alcohol.
Dee Norton, chief of the Office of Search and Rescue Policy at the Coast Guard Office of Search and Rescue in Washington, D.C. says, "People don't realize that you can get hypothermia very, very quickly in the water – much more so than on land. Make sure that you are dressed appropriately for the weather and have life jackets on if you are boating. Those are the biggest things."
But a person doesn't have to be boating to be in danger of falling into cold water. Many neighborhoods have ponds which border residents' backyards, and other communities have local lakes where children ice skate or fish.
"If a person falls into icy water, you want to stabilize him and get him as warm as possible," says Norton. "Whether you have blankets or coats, you need to wrap him up while waiting for help. The more you can do to get that person warmed up, the better. It's amazing how the body's core temperature can drop, and you can still be brought back. There are cases where someone is under water for a half hour, but because the water is so cold it kind of freezes their system, and the person can be resuscitated." She also recommends lying down next to a child to give him warmth from your body.
If someone has severe hypothermia, with symptoms such as depressed vital signs, he may lose consciousness or go into cardiac arrest. If this happens, call an ambulance immediately. If necessary, rescue personnel can give you instructions on how to do CPR.
One final suggestion on winter safety comes from Hochstedler's experiences growing up in Canada. "Never travel anywhere without matches and a candle in your car," he says. Amazingly, a candle will give off enough heat to keep you from freezing if your car skids into a ditch, or you are stuck in it during a snowstorm, he says.
"If you use common sense and take a few simple precautions, you can make wintertime safer and a whole lot more fun for you and your family," says Hochstedler.