Dieser Beitrag wurde geschrieben von Dr. med. Annalena Dehé

Sunstroke in children: What to do?

Dr. med. Annalena Dehé

Co-founder of the 12minutes emergency training, mother of two, and specialist in internal medicine.

Heatstroke in children: Symptoms and sun protection

In the summer season, parents face rising temperatures, sunshine, and the associated risk of heat damage such as overheating, sunburn, and heatstroke in babies and toddlers. The delicate baby skin is especially vulnerable in the first year, so it is very important to protect your infant as well as possible from the dangers of sun and heat.

Table of Contents

  • Signs of sunstroke
  • The right sun protection for babies and children
  • Difference: sunstroke and heatstroke
  • Avoid overheating: dos and don'ts
  • What to do in case of sunstroke or overheating?

Beware of sunstroke – Signs of sunstroke in children

The longer we stay with our baby in the sun, the higher the risk of suffering sun damage such as a sunstroke. Infants should never be exposed to the sun uncovered in the first year of life. In particular, the head and neck must be covered from sun exposure, for example with a sun hat that absorbs UV rays. The sensitive skin on the head is – favored by the often missing and sparse head hair – especially susceptible to sunstrokes.

The most dangerous time of day is between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., because the UV load is highest then. At this time, we should not stay in direct sunlight but rather seek a place in the shade or even stay indoors in cooler rooms to protect against sunstroke.

Since our babies cannot express themselves yet, it is important to observe our baby more closely in case of a change in behavior, which can be the first sign of sunstroke.

Often, the severe symptoms of sunstroke only appear several hours after exposure to the sun.

Classic symptoms of a sunstroke in babies can be:

    • Consciousness disorder with increased drowsiness up to unconsciousness
    • Fever > 39 °C
    • Nausea with / without vomiting
    • Change in character, e.g. with uncontrolled crying or restlessness
    • Skin redness: This is occasionally observed, for example, on the head. The skin on the body does not necessarily have to be overheated; in some cases, the arms and legs even cool down due to blood pressure fluctuations.

The right sun protection for babies and children

The best protection against sunstroke in the first year of life is and remains to avoid direct sun. But let's be honest, in summer it is almost impossible to protect your baby 100% from sun rays. Sunscreens fill the shelves in drugstores and pharmacies in large quantities during summer. But filtering out the one right cream is almost impossible. We have summarized a few selection criteria for you and healthy baby skin here again:

Observe age recommendation

Be sure to check these, as some products are only approved or recommended from 6 months onwards.

Sufficient sun protection factor

The SPF should be at least 50.

Testing sunscreens

Sunscreens should first be tested on a peripheral skin area, e.g. lower leg, in a small area. Attention should be paid to allergy signs such as redness or skin itching.

Sustainable sun protection

Organic is not just organic. Whenever possible, the sunscreen should be environmentally, animal, and coral-friendly, biodegradable, and ideally free from unwanted nanoparticles.

You can of course also protect your baby from UV radiation and sunstroke with the help of UV protective clothing. It makes sense to pay attention to the corresponding product certificates here, e.g. UV Standard 801 or freedom from harmful substances.

Tip: Feel free to browse our range of UV protective clothing for children and babies.

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Difference: Sunstroke and Heatstroke

In heat damage such as overheating or heat stroke, the body temperature rises extremely due to heat and warmth. Especially babies can only regulate their temperature to a limited extent. Due to the increase in body temperature and the lack of regulation, a heat congestion occurs.

A sunstroke, on the other hand, is an overheating of the head, e.g. after prolonged direct exposure to sunlight on the head area and neck. This additionally affects the brain. This strong sunlight causes the temperature of the brain to rise extremely with the risk of irritation of the meninges up to brain swelling, which can lead to further symptoms.

  • Overheating / Heatstroke:

    • Increased temperature up to fever


    • Shallow and rapid breathing


    • Red skin


    • Signs of shock such as:


    • Low blood pressure


    • Rapid heart rate

  • Sunstroke:

    • Fever >39°C


    • Red face


    • Neck pain to neck stiffness


    • Nausea and vomiting


    • Impairment of consciousness


    • Change in character

Avoid overheating in children: Dos & Don’ts

What often begins as a seemingly good idea carries great dangers. Because covering the stroller with a cloth has many unfavorable side effects. Since temperature regulation in infancy does not yet function properly, the buildup of heat in the stroller can lead to heatstroke in your baby. Additionally, the oxygen content in the air under the cloth decreases and the carbon dioxide from the exhaled air can accumulate. This can cause your baby

  • to become sleepy and reluctant to drink,
  • their breathing to slow down, and
  • possibly even experience breathing pauses.


Better suited are airy sun sails or UV-absorbing umbrellas, which, when properly placed, ensure that air can continue to circulate well.

Overheating in the car

Your baby fell asleep exhausted in the car seat after an outing. Unfortunately, incidents of overheating in the car occur repeatedly when parents leave their babies in the parked car for even a few minutes to unload all bags or groceries. In the car – due to the material properties and the large window and glass surfaces – temperatures can rise very quickly and very strongly. Just 5 minutes at an outside temperature of > 30 °C are enough to reach dangerous temperatures around 40 °C and above.

What to do in case of sunstroke or overheating in children?

If you suspect your child has sunstroke or heatstroke, you can proceed as follows:

  • Move to a cooler environment with shade.

  • You can dab the child's head and neck with a lukewarm-cool cloth, about 20 °C.

  • Now monitor the breathing and consciousness of the baby or child to decide which further measures need to be taken.

In any case of unclear consciousness impairment, the emergency doctor or paramedics should be alerted via 112. Babies and toddlers have a much smaller fluid reserve compared to adults, meaning any fluid loss affects them more quickly. Normally, these babies and toddlers are then admitted for a short stay for fluid therapy and controlled fever reduction.

We hope you could take away a tip or two for the summer.

Wishing you well through the first sunny years!

Dr. med. Annalena Dehé
Dr. med. Annalena Dehé is a mother of twins and also a specialist in internal medicine. Together with her husband Dr. med. Lukas Dehé, she is co-founder of the 12minutes emergency training, with which they enable parents to provide first aid to children at home.

Mehr Informationen über Dr. med. Annalena Dehé findest du hier.

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