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(Iowa) -- With dangerous wind chills across the state over the next several days, doctors are reminding parents to take precautions to keep their children safe.
Dr. Jessisa Zuzga-Reed, medical director of MercyOne Children's Hospital says if families have to go outside during these dangerous temperatures, it's important that parents dress their children accordingly:
"When you're dressing your children to go out in extreme temperatures, you want to make sure, for younger children, that you are adding one more layer to them than you would getting dressed yourself as an adult."
Zuzga-Reed also suggests parents avoid dressing children in things that could pose a risk of strangulation, such as lace-up boots and scarves, recommending pull-on boots and neck warmers instead. She also recommends keeping an eye out for signs of cold-related medical conditions like frostbite and hypothermia. Wind chills could reach up to 40 degrees below zero in Iowa over the next several days, and in those conditions, frostbite can develop on exposed skin within ten minutes.