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<div class="HwContainer HwElement" id="HwContainer"><a class="HwMainSkipNavigation" href="#HwContentTitle"><span class="HwAccessibilityText">Skip Navigation</span></a><div class="HwBlock" id="HwMain" role="main"><div class="HwRow"><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnSidebar1"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomSidebar"> </div></div><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnContent"><div id="HwContentTop"> </div><div class="HwTypeFocus HwContentWrapper HwElement" role="article" id="HwContentWrapper"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomContentTop"> </div><div class="HwContentHeader"><p><a name="top" id="Hwtop"><span class="HwAccessibilityText">Top of the page</span></a> </p></div><div class="HwContentTitle"><h1 id="HwContentTitle" tabindex="-1">Babies and Older Adults Have an Increased Risk of Cold Injury</h1></div><div class="HwContentTopNavigation"> </div><div class="HwContent"><div class="HwNavigationSection HwSectionSpecialSection" id="sec-tw9031-sec"><h2 class="HwSectionTitle" fingerprint="b4cb0a40" fingerprint-exact="e7c3d1bb">Overview</h2> <h3 class="HwSubSectionTitle" fingerprint="51f45792" fingerprint-exact="5703214c">Babies</h3> <p fingerprint="5f881553" fingerprint-exact="cb989d27">Babies, especially newborns, are more likely to suffer injury from cold temperature exposure.</p> <ul fingerprint="8a1358bf" fingerprint-exact="0cf54cc4"> <li>They have a large body surface area compared with their weight. Their body heat is lost more rapidly when exposed to cold weather conditions.</li> <li>Their ability to regulate body temperatures is not well-developed. They are not able to shiver (which warms a person up).</li> <li>They don't have much fat under their skin (which keeps them warm).</li> </ul> <h3 class="HwSubSectionTitle" fingerprint="000659f4" fingerprint-exact="b16a7b75">Older adults</h3> <p fingerprint="2c960e57" fingerprint-exact="b0a0acd4">Older adults are more likely to have a cold injury, especially <span class="HwOptionalAny"><a data-hw-type="Mini" data-hw-document-href="aa53968spec" data-hw-section="acl7746" hw:document-type="Mini" hw:document-href="aa53968spec" data-hwid="aa53968spec" hw:section-href="acl7746" href="?id=aa53968spec#acl7746">hypothermia</a></span>, because:</p> <ul fingerprint="b0c87b46" fingerprint-exact="7fe08c1f"> <li>Their normal body temperature may decrease with age.</li> <li>They can't regulate their body temperature as well. They do not produce as much heat energy. They also have less body fat.</li> <li>Their blood vessels do not narrow (constrict) and conserve body heat as easily.</li> <li>They do not shiver as much. Shivering warms the body.</li> <li>Their mental awareness of changes in temperatures may change.</li> <li>They have medical conditions that increase their risk for hypothermia. Some of these conditions include: <ul><li><a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="sta123319" data-hw-section="sta123319-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="sta123319" data-hwid="sta123319" hw:section-href="sta123319-sec" href="?id=sta123319#sta123319-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">Arthritis</span></a>.</li><li>Thyroid disease.</li><li>History of a <a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="sts15140" data-hw-section="sts15140-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="sts15140" data-hwid="sts15140" hw:section-href="sts15140-sec" href="?id=sts15140#sts15140-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">stroke</span></a>.</li><li><a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="sta123217" data-hw-section="sta123217-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="sta123217" data-hwid="sta123217" hw:section-href="sta123217-sec" href="?id=sta123217#sta123217-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">Alzheimer's disease</span></a>.</li><li><a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="stp1229" data-hw-section="stp1229-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="stp1229" data-hwid="stp1229" hw:section-href="stp1229-sec" href="?id=stp1229#stp1229-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">Parkinson's disease</span></a>.</li><li><a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="std120744" data-hw-section="std120744-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="std120744" data-hwid="std120744" hw:section-href="std120744-sec" href="?id=std120744#std120744-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">Diabetes</span></a>.</li><li><a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="sth123766" data-hw-section="sth123766-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="sth123766" data-hwid="sth123766" hw:section-href="sth123766-sec" href="?id=sth123766#sth123766-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">Heart failure</span></a>.</li><li>Poor nutrition.</li><li><a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="stm159615" data-hw-section="stm159615-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="stm159615" data-hwid="stm159615" hw:section-href="stm159615-sec" href="?id=stm159615#stm159615-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">Multiple sclerosis</span></a>.</li><li>Body infection (<a data-hw-type="Mini" data-hw-document-href="sts15452" data-hw-section="sts15452-sec" hw:document-type="Mini" hw:document-href="sts15452" data-hwid="sts15452" hw:section-href="sts15452-sec" href="?id=sts15452#sts15452-sec">sepsis</a>).</li><li>Skin conditions, such as <a class="HwLinkDefinition" data-hw-type="Definition" data-hw-document-href="stp1931" data-hw-section="stp1931-sec" rel="Definition" hw:document-type="Definition" hw:document-href="stp1931" data-hwid="stp1931" hw:section-href="stp1931-sec" href="?id=stp1931#stp1931-sec"><span class="HwLinkText">psoriasis</span></a>.</li></ul></li> <li>They are more likely to be using medicines that may affect their response to cold.</li> <li>They may live alone and have fewer resources to keep them safe from cold injury. They are more likely to have poorly heated homes.</li> </ul> </div><div class="HwNavigationSection HwSectionRelatedInformation" id="sec-tw9031-RelInfo"><h2 class="HwSectionTitle" fingerprint="d5f858e0" fingerprint-exact="c0ffe04b">Related Information</h2><ul fingerprint="83ad72d0" fingerprint-exact="16671c07"><li class="HwOptionalAny"><a data-hw-type="Focus" data-hw-document-href="aa53926" data-hw-section="aa53926-sec" hw:document-type="Focus" hw:document-href="aa53926" data-hwid="aa53926" hw:section-href="aa53926-sec" href="?id=aa53926#aa53926-sec">Cold Exposure: Emergency Equipment</a></li><li class="HwOptionalAny"><a data-hw-type="Focus" data-hw-document-href="tw9037" data-hw-section="tw9037-sec" hw:document-type="Focus" hw:document-href="tw9037" data-hwid="tw9037" hw:section-href="tw9037-sec" href="?id=tw9037#tw9037-sec">Cold Exposure: Ways the Body Loses Heat</a></li><li class="HwOptionalAny"><a data-hw-type="Focus" data-hw-document-href="tw9026" data-hw-section="tw9026_sec" hw:document-type="Focus" hw:document-href="tw9026" data-hwid="tw9026" hw:section-href="tw9026_sec" href="?id=tw9026#tw9026_sec">Cold Exposure: What Increases Your Risk of Injury?</a></li><li class="HwOptionalAny"><a data-hw-type="Mini" data-hw-document-href="aa53968spec" data-hw-section="acl7746" hw:document-type="Mini" hw:document-href="aa53968spec" data-hwid="aa53968spec" hw:section-href="acl7746" href="?id=aa53968spec#acl7746">Hypothermia and Cold Temperature Exposure</a></li><li class="HwOptionalAny"><a data-hw-type="Focus" data-hw-document-href="tw9034" data-hw-section="tw9034_sec" hw:document-type="Focus" hw:document-href="tw9034" data-hwid="tw9034" hw:section-href="tw9034_sec" href="?id=tw9034#tw9034_sec">Wear Proper Clothing to Prevent Cold Injury </a></li></ul></div><div class="HwNavigationSection HwCreditsSection HwCreditsWithoutNavstack HwSectionCredits" id="sec-tw9031-Credits"><h2 class="HwSectionTitle">Credits</h2><div class="HwContentInformation"><div 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