Parents face a growing dilemma as they strive to ensure their infants, toddlers, and young children benefit from outdoor activity while simultaneously protecting them from increasingly intense summer heat. This dual imperative often sparks anxiety, prompting questions about safe exposure times, signs of distress, and crucial precautions.
The urgency of these concerns is amplified by human-caused climate change, which is contributing to longer, stronger, and more widespread heat waves. Much of the United States recently endured a significant heat dome, underscoring the immediate risks.
Dr. Katherine Williamson, a pediatrician with Rady Children’s Health in Orange, California, notes that these shifting environmental realities make safeguarding babies from heat more critical than ever. “We talk about drowning and choking with toddlers, and now we’re starting to add in heat,” she explained. “It’s become something that’s more commonplace as a potential injury.”
Here is why children are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, and some do’s and don’ts to keep them safe:
Regulating body temperature is a challenge
Children face a heightened risk of heat-related illness compared to adults, primarily due to physiological differences and their propensity for outdoor play. Their bodies sweat less, have a higher metabolism, and a greater surface area-to-mass ratio, all contributing to faster heat absorption.
Parents must remain vigilant for warning signs. Fatigue and flushed skin suggest a child needs a break to cool down, while increased irritability can also indicate overheating. For infants, a lack of tears or fewer wet diapers are crucial indicators of dehydration. In such cases, feeding infants smaller quantities more frequently is advised to ensure sufficient fluid intake.
Tips for keeping them safe
As temperatures climb, parents and caregivers must prioritize protecting children from the heat. Experts recommend avoiding outdoor exposure during the day’s hottest periods, dressing youngsters in loose, light-colored clothing, and ensuring ample fluid intake. Sunscreen is also essential. Hydrating fruits such as watermelon and strawberries offer ideal snacks. “If you’re hot, your baby sure is going to be hot,” states Dr. Debra Langlois, a pediatrician at the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. While limiting infants’ and toddlers’ time outdoors in extreme heat is advised, Dr. Langlois notes that remaining strictly indoors at all times is not necessary.
Don’t put blankets or other covers on a stroller
While shielding children from the sun by covering strollers might seem logical, experts warn against this common practice. Blankets and other coverings, even thin ones, prevent crucial air circulation and trap heat, dangerously raising the stroller’s internal temperature.
Instead, parents are advised to use a canopy for shade. Additionally, it’s important to check metal parts on strollers, as these can heat up rapidly and pose a burn risk to children.
Don’t leave kids in the car
Even in the shade and with open windows, car temperatures can rise dramatically in a short amount of time. In 2025, 31 children died of heat stroke in vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The agency recommends caregivers leave a purse or other personal item in the back seat, write a note or place a stuffed animal on the passenger seat to ensure they don’t forget a child inside.
If you return to a parked car with your baby on a hot day, ensure the metal parts of the car seat are also not too hot. For extra comfort, use a sun shade to keep the interior cooler and turn on the air conditioning in advance.
To cool a hot car, experts recommend opening the windows for 10 to 20 seconds while running the air conditioning.
