Ten million children be going to Summer Kids Camps. As Parents we need to consider some new advice to protect campers’ health.

The new guideline, published in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics, was written by a team led by a University of Michigan Health System physician who specializes in camp health. Edward Walton, M.D., FAAP, FACEP, is lead author of the paper, which is an official policy statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics and was produced in conjunction with the American Camp Association.

The new policy statement for the first time advises parents to thoroughly assess whether a camp is right for their child’s mental, emotional and physical well-being, as well as their interests and skills.

Camps need to give parents a complete and truthful view of what their camp activities involve. All summer camps whether it’s strenuous sports, rough wilderness camping, horseback riding — or intense music or computer practice, need to let the parent know what is expected of each child. Camps need to let parent know that some activities might be more difficult for some children.

Homesickness prevention, the authors write, should start weeks before a child goes off to camp, and can be led by parents with the help of the doctor or other health care provider who performs the child’s pre-camp health assessment.

Parents should also avoid making pre-arranged plans with their children about picking them up if they get homesick. This only gets kids thinking about the way out of camp. Only should parents discuss camp positively, avoid expressing doubts about a child’s ability to avoid homesickness.

The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines say the pediatricians need to be involved with camps in their local have up to date protocols and help as medical backups for camp health personnel.

Asthma and allergies also bring new challenges for camps. Parents need to teach their children how to use rescue inhalers or EpiPens (allergy-calming epinephrine injection devices). With or with out the summer camp. Camps need to help children have them nearby at all times.

“The delay that can occur when another camper or counselor has to run to the camp nurse’s office to grab an inhaler for a child who is having an asthma attack or an EpiPen for a child who has been stung by a bee can have real health consequences,” says Walton.

The new guideline does not give detailed recommendations for camps that serve only children with special medical circumstances, such as cancer, physical disabilities, blindness, deafness or diabetes. But it recommends that camps work with local pediatricians and health professionals to assess children’s fitness to take part in such camps, and establish programs specific to them.

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Swift Nature Camp is a Minnesota Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional outdoors summer camp activities with that of a Science Summer Camp. that promotes an appreciation for nature.