Cold weather safety tips

If you plan on engaging in snowy outdoor activities, 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. So 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 that 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 in ice and snow.
  
• Get out of wet clothes immediately and warm up your core body temperature with a blanket and warm fluids.
  
• Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia — confusion, dizziness, exhaustion, and severe shivering. Hypothermia can be a serious medical condition; seek medical attention immediately if you or your children have any of these symptoms.
  
• Recognize frostbite warning signs: gray, white, or yellow skin discoloration; numbness; 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 that your children are appropriately dressed for these activities, including wearing a helmet, and that they are well-supervised.

Source: American Red Cross