New guidelines say hot weather safe for young athletes - with precautions
(CBS/AP) Is it safe for kids to play sports in hot, humid weather? New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics say it is safe, as long as precautions are taken and the drive to win doesn't trump common sense.
The guidelines were issued just as school sports ramp up, along with steamy August temperatures - and a week after two Georgia high school football players died following practices in 90-plus degree heat.
The guidelines replace a more restrictive policy based on old thinking that kids were more vulnerable than adults to heat stress. New research shows that's not true, the academy says. With adequate training, water intake, time-outs, and emergency treatment available on the sidelines, healthy young athletes can play even in beastly weather conditions.
Government data released last week showed that more than 3,000 U.S. children under age 20 received emergency-room treatment for nonfatal heat illness from sports or exercise between 2001 and 2009.
A few young athletes die annually from heat-related illness. Over a 13-year period, 29 high school football players died from heat stroke, data from the American Football Coaches Association and others show. Football is a special concern because players often begin intense practice during late-summer heat, wearing heat-trapping uniforms and padding.
Dr. Michael Bergeron, a University of South Dakota sports medicine specialist, said the academy's old policy was often ignored because it recommended limiting sports even in common hot weather conditions. The new policy is more detailed and nuanced, recommending that athletes be evaluated individually for play in hot weather.
Still, Bergeron warned that overzealous competition can be dangerous even for healthy kids in relatively tame summer weather.
"You can take somebody in 80-degree heat and you can kill them if you work them hard enough," he said.
The guidelines don't list temperature or humidity cutoffs, but say safety should be the top priority.
Other academy advice includes:
Teams should have emergency plans with trained personnel and treatment available and policies for avoiding heat illness.
Young athletes should be given about two weeks to adapt to preseason sessions, with gradually increasing intensity and duration. Vulnerable kids, including those who are overweight or have diabetes, should be closely monitored.
Athletes should be well-hydrated before practice or games. During activity, kids 9 to 12 years of age should drink about half a cup to a cup of water every 20 minutes; for teens, 5 or 6 cups an hour. Sports drinks containing electrolytes and sodium should be offered during extra strenuous activity.
Everyone involved should be educated about signs of heat stress, including dizziness, muscle cramps, headaches and nausea. Kids with symptoms should be sidelined and treated immediately; athletes should be encouraged to report if teammates seem to be struggling.