Although the country goes wild and loves when the sun comes out, babies and young children can become seriously ill during the hot weather! Their health can be affected by: dehydration, heatstroke, heat exhaustion, and sunburn.
This blog will provide you with age-appropriate advice and tips for keeping your child happy and healthy during the sunny weather so that it can be truly enjoyed by everyone!
The NHS recommends different tips based on your child's age. Please remember this advice will need to be tailored to meet your baby's needs - for more information please check out this article by the NHS here.
From 0 - 6 months old;
- Breastfeed your child more than usual - as fully breastfed babies do not have any water until they're eating solid foods. Make sure you are making an extra effort to stay more hydrated during this time also, to avoid getting dehydrated!
- If your child is bottle feeding, you can give your child slightly cooled boiled water, as well as their usual milk feeds, to boost their hydration. For example, if your baby wakes during the night, they'll likely want milk as they're used to it - once they've had their usual milk feed, try them on cooled boiled water as well.
From 6 months old;
- Once your child has started eating solid foods, you should offer your child's baby sips of water from a beaker or cup with meals. Remember that breastmilk/infant formal should be their main drink during their first year - however, during hot weather, you may need to offer some additional water outside of mealtimes.
From 12 months old;
- Once your child is one, their main drinks should now be water, breastmilk, or whole cow's milk. So, during the hot weather, you can try giving them frozen lollies made from plain water, or from very diluted fruit juice to help keep them hydrated and cool - Please note, lollies made from diluted juice should only be given at mealtimes, to help prevent tooth decay. To learn more about dental health and how teeth brushing changes with your child's age, please click here.
- For older children, giving them fresh fruits/salads is a fantastic way to help keep their fluid levels up! However - please remember that undiluted fruit juice or smoothies should not be given to children until they are five, as the sugars can cause tooth decay. If you are also struggling to get your child to brush their teeth, check out our blogs: Child Dental Health Printable Worksheets for Home and How to Encourage Children to Brush their Teeth.
We hope this helps! If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment below and we'll be in touch as soon as possible.