Here are the little red cheeks of happiness! Playing outside in the winter is magical, but it’s also a little chilly and cold, well that can cause some discomfort. What if I told you about frostbite! How to recognize them on your children and what to do in their presence?
Frostbite usually occurs on the extremities of the body when they are exposed to cold or wind. The intensity of the temperature, but also the time of exposure to the elements, are factors that can influence the severity of frostbite.
Symptoms may vary depending on the severity of the frostbite.
Superficial frostbite:
-Tingling of the skin and loss of mobility.
-Red and swollen skin.
Moderate frostbite:
-Grayish skin color.
-Intense and disturbing tingling.
Severe frostbite:
-The skin whitens and has a waxy appearance.
-Loss of skin sensitivity.
-Blisters may be present, as in a heat burn.
How do you manage frostbite?
-Treat it gently, the frozen skin could be very fragile.
-Do NOT rub the area of the body with frostbite.
-Warm the wound gently with your hands or with room temperature water.
-Do not expose the frostbite to direct heat such as hot water or a very hot magic bag.
-Then avoid exposure to the cold for a few hours.
-If in doubt about the severity of the injury, consult a doctor!
And how to avoid them? Here are some tips (that you probably already do ;)) :
Cover well all the small fragile parts of the body of your cocos. Keep children indoors when the outside temperature is below -25˚C. Choose mittens over gloves (yes, fingers do get warm between them) and add an extra pair of socks in their feet! Keep your children dry, if their clothes are wet or damp, go inside for a few minutes to warm up and put on dry clothes.
Good cold weather!
