Children more vulnerable to heat stress, need hydration and care during weather changes: Medical expert
Noida, May 21
Dr Shalini Tyagi, Director of Paediatric Care at Medanta, Noida, on Thursday, advised parents to take extra precautions for children amid rising heatwave conditions, warning that children are more vulnerable to dehydration, heat stress and related infections during extreme weather.
The warning comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for heatwave conditions in Delhi, Haryana, and Chandigarh, with similar conditions likely in several other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Telangana, Odisha, and Uttarakhand.
Speaking to ANI about the impact of heat on children's health, Dr Tyagi said, "Every weather change affects children more than it affects adults. If you look at it, children have a larger body surface area relative to their weight, meaning they absorb more heat. Additionally, their thermoregulation system is not as well-developed as it is in adults."
She further warned that seasonal heat is leading to multiple health complications among children, adding, "Because of the heat, we frequently see children suffering from diarrhoea and dehydration, and certain respiratory infections also increase during this time."
However, she cautioned against restricting outdoor activity completely, saying, "I would not tell children to just sit at home and avoid going out to play, because playing is an essential part of their health--it is the equivalent of exercise for adults."
Meanwhile, Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital has reported another heatstroke case amid soaring temperatures in the national capital.
A 50-year-old man was admitted on Thursday morning after being brought in unconscious by police with an extremely high body temperature.
According to the hospital, doctors immediately placed him on a ventilator support and initiated ice-cold water immersion cooling.
This comes after a 24-year-old man, who was travelling by train, was rushed to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital in an unconscious state on Thursday.
The patient was immediately admitted to the hospital's emergency care facility, where a dedicated heatwave clinic initiated intensive life-saving treatment protocols to stabilise his condition and reduce dangerously elevated internal body temperature.
— ANI
Reader Comments
In UP's villages, we don't have air-conditioned schools, and kids walk miles under the sun. Orange or red alert—no one cares where my grandchildren study. Government needs to install water coolers and shade in every government school. Dehydration leads to fever, and then we spend months on medicines. Praying for better infrastructure. 🙏
As a father who moved from the UK to Pune, I was amazed how quickly my son's skin rashes and exhaustion set in during summer. Dr Tyagi's point about children's body surface area is spot on. We now make sure he wears cotton clothes, removes layers, and sips water every 20 minutes. But the advice to "not stop playing" is key—overprotection harms too. Balance matters.
👏 Finally some sense! Last summer, my nephew in Gurugram got severe diarrhoea because his school didn't allow water bottles in class. Parents are often blamed for neglect, but civic bodies and schools must step up too. Also, hats off to RML Hospital's heatwave clinic—that 50-year-old's survival shows timely treatment saves lives. More such facilities needed!
I'm a paediatric nurse in Chennai, and Dr Tyagi is absolutely right about thermoregulation. Every summer, we see kids admitted with heat exhaustion because parents think "baccha bada ho raha hai" and don't adjust routines. But my concern is: how many parents in rural India have access to this information? The media should air such tips in regional languages too.
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