NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — With the forecast showing frigid temperatures, both you and your children should bundle up.
Roads aren’t expected to be slick Tuesday, but Stacey Pecenka with Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt said temperatures that low are still dangerous.
“The first signs of frostbite are you’re going to start feeling numbness and burning in your limbs,” Pecenka said. “It’s not necessarily just your fingers. It could be your ears, your hands, your legs — whatever.”
That’s why several middle Tennessee school districts have cancelled classes Tuesday. If your student is at school or even if they’re playing outside at home, Pecenka sid to add layers of clothing.
“[Make sure] they’re wearing gloves, they’ve got hats, that they’ve got their ears covered because the skin is so sensitive and it could freeze really quickly,” Pecenka added.
If they come inside complaining about pain from the cold, she recommended against putting them directly in a hot bath, but suggested warming up slowly. Additionally, wet clothes should come off and blankets should be put over them.
“We don’t want to do anything that’s going to cause too much of a temperature shift,” Pecenka said.
Parents should also remember not to buckle kids into car seats with puffer jackets on because the belt won’t hold them in as tightly in the event of a crash.
“Put them in a car seat the way you normally would,” Pecenka said. They can either put the jacket backwards, with their arms still through it, or just put a couple blankets on top of them to keep them warm and cozy.”
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