Summer Safety Tips for Children

Summer is a carefree and fun time for children. No more homework or long days and endless hours of play are what the season is all about. Summer, however, can bring foot health challenges for our younger patients at Goldsmith Podiatry. 

Follow these 4 recommendations to ensure that your child’s summer fun in the sun isn’t marred by a foot problem:

1. Keep Feet Covered—kids like walking barefoot but in the yard, beach or park, sharp objects are often hidden in the grass or sand and puncture wounds are the result. Water shoes are a good solution for protecting children from cuts and punctures.
2. Avoid Fungal Infections—another good reason to keep your children’s feet covered is to prevent them from getting an infection in the foot. Bacterial, fungal and viral infections—such as athlete’s foot, warts and fungal toenails—are all spread by direct contact. Teach your children not to share shoes, socks, soap, towels or other items that touch someone else’s feet. If one of your children gets a foot infection, be sure that they have separate towels at home and don’t share a bed with another child. Wash the tub or shower floor thoroughly after each use by the infected child to prevent spread of the infection to other family members.
3. Match the Shoe to the Activity—while flip flops are appropriate for use by the pool or at the beach, they are a fast ticket to an ankle sprain if your child runs or plays sports in them. A good pair of supportive sneakers are necessary for more vigorous activities or days when they will be doing a fair amount of walking. If they are wearing the same pair of sneakers they used during the school year, be sure to check to make sure they have not outgrown them.
4. Don’t Feel the Burn—sunburn on the feet often takes parents by surprise but it shouldn’t. The skin on your feet is even more susceptible to a burn since it spends so much of the year covered up. Always apply a water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to your children’s feet when they will be exposed in sandals or for a day at the pool or beach. Remember to reapply every few hours and immediately after swimming.

If your child sustains an injury during the summer months or complains of foot or ankle pain, make an appointment at our New York City office so that one of our podiatrists, Dr. Howard Goldsmith or Dr. Rosanna Troia can examine your child’s feet and diagnose any lower extremity issues. Contact us by calling: 212-877-1002.