A Canadian woman is warning other parents to be wary of heatstroke after her toddler didn’t wake up from her nap.
Jennifer Abma from Edmonton, Alberta, has said that she was keeping her daughters inside during a heat wave in her town, adding that her family home isn’t fitted with air conditioning, Today.com reported.
Her 3-year-old daughter, Anastasia, went upstairs to nap following playtime with her 1-year-old sister.
Abma said she went to check on Anastasia, only to find the room extremely warm. She then panicked when she was unable to wake her daughter.
In a Facebook post, which has gone viral, Abma wrote, “THIS was my evening, this was the scariest moment I’ve had to imagine, THIS is severe heatstroke. There is nothing scarier than not being able to wake your baby up.”
“THIS is clear proof a child doesn’t need to be in the sun to get heat stroke. It took us 20 minutes to wake her up, when ambulance came, they came with investigators because they didn’t know what to expect as did I,” she added.
When first responders arrived, they discovered that her blood sugar was low, and her body temperature had risen to 104 degrees. Fahrenheit. The temperature of the room was about 122 F.
Paramedics administered sugar to the little girl, and she eventually woke up.
“It took 15 minutes to wake her,” Abma said to Today.com. “She got really, really lucky. She was probably minutes away from permanent damage.”
Abma says that the temperature is unusually high, as her town rarely sees anything above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Her full Facebook post is below:
“THIS was my evening, this was the scariest moment I’ve had to imagine, THIS is severe heatstroke. There is nothing scarier than not being able to wake your baby up. THIS is clear proof a child doesn’t need to be in the sun to get heat stroke. It took us 20 minutes to wake her up, when ambulance came, they came with investigators because they didn’t know what to expect as did I. This was proof how fast things change. Anastasia put herself for a nap, I had no idea how hot her bedroom was until I went to wake her up soaked in sweat, red face, boiling and unable to wake her for 15 minutes, ambulance arrived faster then I could have ever imagined and took her sugars which were 1.2 and should be above 4, they administered sucrose and in minutes she started crying clearly scared. No it is not my fault this happened to her but it is hard not to blame yourself, this is a lesson learnt & hopefully other parents can take something from this & make sure you are checking the rooms in your house because they can be as dangerous as a hot car. Still I’m shook and I can’t imagine what would have happened if I didn’t go check on her. We definitely had God on our side yesterday and I am thankful for emergency services and Jay who came as fast as possible to keep me together.”
With summer upon us, heatstroke has a higher possibility of affecting children and elderly people, especially in very warm places. That is why it is important to be aware of the signs. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include:
High body temperature. A core body temperature of 104 F (40 C) or higher, obtained with a rectal thermometer, is the main sign of heatstroke.
Altered mental state or behavior. Confusion, agitation, slurred speech, irritability, delirium, seizures and coma can all result from heatstroke.
Alteration in sweating. In heatstroke brought on by hot weather, your skin will feel hot and dry to the touch. However, in heatstroke brought on by strenuous exercise, your skin may feel dry or slightly moist.
Nausea and vomiting. You may feel sick to your stomach or vomit.
Flushed skin. Your skin may turn red as your body temperature increases.
Rapid breathing. Your breathing may become rapid and shallow.
Racing heart rate. Your pulse may significantly increase because heat stress places a tremendous burden on your heart to help cool your body.
Headache. Your head may throb.
Be careful and stay hydrated.
