Stay safe in cold weather

If you plan to engage in snowy outdoor activities this winter, make sure you and your children are dressed for maximum warmth. Exposure to cold can cause injury or serious illness such as frostbite or hypothermia. Whether you’re hitting the slopes, building a snowman, or just taking a walk on a wintry day, keep the following in mind:

• Dress yourself and your kids appropriately before going outdoors. Children may resist wearing a coat, hat, gloves, and scarf, but it’s very important hat they do.
  
• Dress in layers so you can adjust to changing conditions.
  
• Wear a hat — most of your body heat is lost through your head.
• Choose mittens; they provide more warmth than gloves.
• Wear waterproof, insulated boots to keep your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing on ice and snow.
  
• Get out of wet clothes immediately and increase your body temperature with a blanket or warm fluids.
  
• Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia, which can be a serious medical condition. Seek medical attention immediately if you or your children have any of these symptoms: confusion, dizziness, exhaustion, and severe shivering.
  
• Recognize frostbite warning signs: gray, white, or yellow skin discoloration; numbness and/or waxy-feeling skin. Seek medical attention immediately if you or your children have any of these symptoms.

Activities such as ice skating, snowboarding, sled riding, and skiing are great fun. But they can also be dangerous. Make sure your children are supervised during these activities and that they are dressed for them, including wearing a helmet.

Source: American Red Cross