MedLink Health Connections Podcast

Preventing Burns, Breaks & Bites: Summer Tips with Dr. Reece & Jennifer Rubner, CPNP

• MedLink Georgia • Season 1 • Episode 14

Share episode

Summer fun comes with hidden risks—but pediatrician Dr. Elizabeth Reece and pediatric nurse practitioner Jennifer Rubner are here to help. In this episode, they share expert tips on sun protection, trampoline safety, and insect bite prevention every parent should know.

Learn why sunscreen matters even on cloudy days, how to apply it effectively, and what to do for babies under six months. Discover why most trampoline injuries happen with multiple jumpers and how to keep backyard play safe. Plus, get practical advice on avoiding mosquito bites, removing ticks, and protecting kids from Georgia’s summer bugs.

Don’t miss this essential summer safety guide from trusted pediatric experts. Subscribe now and visit medlinkga.org for more family health resources.

Speaker 1:

Today, we are joined by Dr Elizabeth Reese, a pediatrician, and Jennifer Rubner, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner, both from our Banks and Danielsville offices. Together, they'll be sharing valuable insights on sun safety, trampoline safety and insect safety. So let's get started. Even when you're not going to the beach, you should be wearing sunscreen right.

Speaker 2:

Every single day of your life, even when it's cloudy, yeah even when it's cloudy?

Speaker 1:

Yes, that's true. That's true. Isn't the UV index sometimes higher when it's cloudy? It's easier to get burned.

Speaker 2:

The general recommendation is just for babies. We know we don't want to see a tan baby. No tan babies. If they're less than six months, they should really be out of direct sunlight. So if you're going to go to the pool or beach, try to go in your low sun times If you want to get them into water.

Speaker 2:

Make sure that they have a hat that covers their face, ears and back of the neck. And under six months they don't usually recommend sunscreen. But if you are concerned that they're going to be somewhat in the sun because your family's in the sun, it's better to have the sunscreen and no sunburn than no sunscreen. You can test patch that on a baby, meaning put that on like the back of their leg, wait overnight and just make sure that they don't break out from it. But we'd prefer under six months would be like in a shady out of direct sunlight area.

Speaker 3:

And I'm a big fan of the, the bathing suits. Now that come like they have the sleeves, the UV protective all the way down sleeves They'll be, and they just they cover more of the body. I'm a big fan of those, for, you know, kids of all ages, yeah, but especially the younger kids, so that you give just, you're getting better coverage if you're covering them with a sun shirt or a bathing suit. That's more of a sun protective.

Speaker 2:

Now don't put sunscreen underneath that but that just gives them an extra layer of protection too. Yeah, so they can do both of those, and if they can limit the sun exposure between 10 am and 4 pm is the strongest time of having sun on you and then also if they'll wear sunglasses to give them some UV protection for their eyes, that's a good idea as well. Sunscreens we'll recommend to apply those to kids for about 15 to 30 minutes before they go out in the sun. Like, don't wait till you get to the beach, go ahead and put that on, and that allows time for that to set on their skin. And then and really use a lot. Feel like you're slathering on. Don't think that you want to keep your bottle of sunscreen for like three years. Just use it and also look at it. It's usually dated and even though some things you might think it was dated, but it's probably okay.

Speaker 2:

Go ahead and spend the money to get the one that's in date and use a lot of it, even on cloudy days, and you want to put it on every two hours and every time they come out after swimming is a good, is a kind of a good rule of thumb it's a.

Speaker 3:

It's a. It's a good idea to spend the money and replace that sunscreen every summer to make sure that you're not going to get burnt with old sunscreen yeah, because it can cause chemical reactions, right yeah, well then, they do make kinds that have like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide for sensitive skins, because the other ones have more of that chemical reaction.

Speaker 2:

But those are the old-fashioned kinds that used to be where they'd make you real white on your nose, like if you picture the lifeguards with their white nose. But now they have those that will either come in fun colors, that kids sometimes like, or they do blend in better than they did. You'll still notice that they have some sunscreen, but it doesn't. It's not that bright white anymore and that's the best for like your nose, your cheeks, the top of your ears and your shoulders.

Speaker 3:

And I really like the sun sticks too to do that. So instead of trying to get all of the areas that stick out with the lotion, I still do the lotion, the sunscreen lotion part. But your nose that really sticks out. You've got that. Those sun sticks with the zinc on it to get the nose. And then you know, the cheekbones, the ears, the forehead, where my kids are always tending to, you know, be most exposed. Um, you know, I do a nice little layer and you can actually see it like glisten as it stays um, which is great because it just.

Speaker 3:

It avoids those really painful facial burns too.

Speaker 1:

I never thought of it. I feel like the ears are something I avoid. Because I never think about that, because I got hair, yeah, yeah. But then that is something to really consider, because I know my brother just his ears are peeling right now because he was in the sun.

Speaker 2:

My boys, because they tend to wear their hair like buzzed, and my husband they always have yeah they're.

Speaker 1:

I always make them make sure they get their ears too they're gonna even sometimes your hair, because I know like if I part my hair very strictly I get a sunburn right in my scalp because I never think about it.

Speaker 3:

We have to do the hairline, yeah, so we usually do like a three my kids think I'm crazy, um, but we do like a three-tier sunscreen, um, so we start with like the, the lotion, um, and then, um the, any areas where they get any more of the zinc, we do the sun stick, so that's like the face, the back of the neck, um, and the parts, and then, um, I usually top it off with the spray for anything. I didn't listen really well and I've been doing it there.

Speaker 3:

I've got a fourteen and a half year old and an eleven year old and I've been doing that method for years and we hardly ever have any burns and on very fair skin. Children so they can laugh at me all they want, but it works. They won't be laughing when they're sunbathing.

Speaker 1:

That's right when you're outside. Sometimes too, even if you're going to go play on the trampoline, I think it would be safe to say use your sunscreen, because the sun's still there. I feel like it's very common to think I'm going swimming, I'm going to be in the sun all day. I need to put sunscreen on, but I'm going outside to jump on the trampoline, ride my bike, do this, do that. I don't think about sunscreen All day.

Speaker 3:

Sporting games soccer games Saturday morning soccer games where, you know, maybe the coach forgot to put the sunscreen on the back of the neck and then got burnt all day because her hair was up. You know stuff like that.

Speaker 1:

That's true. I didn't even think about that.

Speaker 3:

I was just sitting here thinking like Because they spend a lot of time at sporting events where they're out in that sun and, yes, all of those need sunscreen.

Speaker 2:

And here a lot of it will hit us when we're in those first cooler days, when it's still got a little bit windy and you're not hot, so you're not thinking about the fact that I might be getting a burn. And that's a lot of times when you go in with the worst sunburn and you didn't even realize you were getting burned until the next day.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so with trampolines when you're outside is there any? Other. You know, obviously wear your sunscreen, check first thing. What else would you say would be good to have like notes to have in your head for trampoline safety?

Speaker 2:

Well, we would the same way that we talked about with our pool safety. Really any you know, anything where there is a potential for injury, it's a good idea to have a adult supervisor that's out there to just make sure that kids are kind of being safe with the equipment. But most injuries are actually due to when more than one child is jumping at a time. So it's like 75%, I think, they say, of trampoline injuries is when two kids are on because one bounces like the other one off as you go or they collide and fall.

Speaker 2:

So trying to just have one person on at a time Remember that the nets that are around aren't really they're not like catch-alls to make sure the kids won't fall off of the trampoline and trying just to be again instilling in them just safe maneuvers and allowing one person at a time.

Speaker 3:

Yes, but you still do want that netting. A lot of these trampolines will get old and the netting gets worn out, and so people will get rid of it, and you just took away a barrier for your kid from falling off. You know that netting is not going to necessarily hold in your older kid, but it might keep your three-year-old from completely falling out so you know, netting is a good thing for sure.

Speaker 1:

I know I didn't realize, I guess how weak not really weak, it's not really the right word, but how fragile kids' bones are. Because this girl I don't really know her, know her, but her daughter just broke her leg from jumping on the trampoline. It was just because there was more than one kid on the trampoline. From jumping on the trampoline. It was just because there was more than one kid on the trampoline. But when she landed it, just so much, I guess, force brought down and she just snapped her leg in half.

Speaker 3:

I was like and you'll see a lot of that too where the kids are playing around and jumping and there's multiple around and they'll fall. And they'll fall just in the wrong way on their leg and then another kid falls on top of them and you definitely end up with Georgia has bugs everywhere, Always mosquitoes.

Speaker 1:

Do you recommend using bug spray or how do you recommend kind of fighting those things off, Because even ants get on my nerves, oh yes those fire ants are terrible.

Speaker 2:

You can sort of look through your property. Things like standing water, if you can get rid of that, that's kind of a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Things like standing water, if you can get rid of that, that's kind of a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Speaker 2:

Or if you need to treat if you have fire ants and young kids, because sometimes the they'll bite the child many times before they're gonna cry out and then and then you'll have to deal with those all over their poor little feet as you go through they. If you're over two months old, you can use a deep containing product.

Speaker 2:

It's a DEET which is what really helps to repel insects. And if you don't feel comfortable putting it on their skin, just have a light long layer like a light long pants or shirt, and then spray their clothes. Just like Jen had said about spraying the fragrance on. You can do it that way as well, just to try to keep them covered. But keeping their skin covered and then keeping the bug spray on is the beginnings that you would want to do and the kids.

Speaker 3:

They love their flip-flops and their crocs and and all those lovely um footwear, for they can where they can get eaten at by bugs. But if they're going to be walking on, you know, high grass um playing outside, where there's high grass and trails and very wooded areas, you know like, just put your tennis shoes and socks on.

Speaker 3:

You know, like your feet are going to be a little stinky and smelly afterwards but it's going to save a lot of ant bites or, even worse, snake bites or anything else kind of bites. You know, because it is summer is a breeding room for a lot of things to bite you.

Speaker 2:

And those crocs might be breezy and comfortable but they're not really great for a forest or a nature walk you still, even though it's hot, you still want to go ahead and put on your regular tennis shoes for that and then after you're done too, in your nature walk, just get used to checking your kids for ticks and bites and anything that they see. Because ticks, if they're removed quickly they're much easier to get off of the skin and much less likely to transmit any kind of disease like Lyme disease that sort of thing. The shorter time that they're on it's a fully fed tick. When they get very engorged and enlarged that you have more of a risk of transmission of those illnesses.

Speaker 3:

So if you check them and you see it either just crawling on the skin or it is just latched on, then you're going to have a little bit more luck getting that off in there and the hairline is really important doing a really good um check on your hairline because those tics love to get into that hairline that you know you don't see them before um, and so that sometimes you can um, if you're having trouble, if your kid's got really thick hair, um popping them in the bath and and doing a really good shampoo conditioner and feeling, feeling all over for any ticks on their hairline.

Speaker 1:

Tuning in to the MedLake Health Connections podcast. We hope you found today's episode informative and inspiring. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, rate and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Remember the information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with your health care provider for any medical concerns. Stay connected with us on social media and visit our website at medlinkgaorg for more resources and updates. Until next time, stay healthy and take care you.