Children's health: Tips to keep kids safe on hot summer days

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With summer temperatures reaching the triple digits, pediatricians urge parents to look out for heat-related illnesses in their children.

"We adults start to slow down when it gets hot outside. Kids don't do that," said Dr. Colleen Kraft with Children's Hospital Los Angeles. "They're just as energetic."

Doctors say children heat up three to five times faster than adults. Younger bodies can't cool down as efficiently.

According to Kraft, kids often keep playing until their systems shut down. Parents sometimes do not recognize the signs of cramps or heat exhaustion.

"A child will come to you because their stomach is hurting, or their legs are hurting, or their head is hurting," Kraft said. "It will be pretty much all of a sudden."

She explained that children have inefficient sweat glands that do not work the same way as adults. The heat can reach infants even faster.

When children get dehydrated, parents are encouraged to immediately bring them indoors, cool them down with wet cloths and give them water.

Parents are encouraged to call 911 when they see severe signs of heat exhaustion in their children, including red cheeks, a fast pulse and fever.

"They really don't know how to communicate if they're hot or they're agitated," Silverlake grandmother Tatiana Guevara said.

Guevara often takes her 19-month-old grandchild to the mall for precaution on warm days. She said it is often hard to tell how much the heat affects him.

Kraft's advice is to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day.

Other options are museums, movies and cafes.

Kraft also said kids need at least eight ounces of water for every hour of play and recommends getting them to drink water before they get thirsty.

Water-filled fruits are another way to hydrate. Guevara feeds her grandchild watermelon on hot days.

Dr. Kraft also urges parents to never leave their children or pets in hot cars.