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Parents Look For Ways To Keep Kids Cool At California State Fair

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — With temperatures cracking the century mark on Tuesday, kids day at the fair was all about keeping cool.

If you thought the rides at the California State Fair were cool, try the full-body misters.

You just click a button, then spray, spin, and go. The large mister-machines are scattered all over, but portable ones are just as popular.

Monique Domich says a little spray and some homemade mom-goodness does the trick.

"Lots of water, fruit, and we brought our own lunches," she said.

The fair may have plenty of interesting things to eat. But they let you bring your own food and water, as long as it's sealed.

One dad brought his own cooler strapped to his kids' wagon.

"You need water. If not you'll be dehydrated, especially the kids," he said.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be especially scary for parents and dangerous for kids.

"That can result in actual damage to the body's cells and to the brain, too. It can have permanent damage to the brain due to that," said UC Davis Pediatrics Professor Dean Blumberg.

Dr. Blumberg says infants and toddlers are especially prone to heat illness.
That's because they don't yet have the motor skills to regulate their temperature.

So what do parents need to look for? Irritability is one. But sometimes, he says, the signs aren't so obvious.

"When the younger children get highly affected then they won't be as responsive so they'll look like they're in a coma for example," he said.

The best way to prevent that is to hydrate throughout the day. And listen to your children.

"She tells me when she wants water," one mom said about her little one.

And if you're skeptical about trying salty fair food to avoid dehydration, don't be. Doctors say it could even help on a hot day.

"The increased salt intake could lead to increased fluid intake. That would be good to prevent dehydration!, said Dr. Blumberg.

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