評論
打印
As winter chill blankets much of the country, parents of teenagers face a daily dilemma: convince their willful children to dress warmly or let them learn from experience. One expert, pediatrician Jennifer Shu, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics and medical editor of the group's healthychildren.org consumer website, offers her view on what the most important item of winter clothing is and when to let children decide for themselves.
隨著冬寒橫掃美國大部分地區，十幾歲青少年的父母每天都面臨著一個兩難選擇：說服自己任性的孩子，讓他們穿暖點，或者讓他們從實際體驗中學到教訓。冬季著裝的要點是什么？什么時候應該讓孩子自己做出決定？這方面的專家、兒科醫生Jennifer Shu表達了自己的觀點。Jennifer Shu是美國兒科學會(American Academy of Pediatrics)的發言人，也是該學會的消費者網站healthychildren.org的醫學編輯。
Core of the Matter
事件的核心
Growing kids' hearts beat faster than those of grown-ups, and their metabolisms are generally quicker. But contrary to popular belief, teens' hyperactive hormones don't elevate core temperature above the usual 98.6 degrees. Children also typically have more body surface relative to body mass, which means they can get cold faster than adults, Dr. Shu says. Older children who refuse to wear proper cold-weather gear may be irritable and unable to focus on school because they are too cold.
正在長身體的孩子的心臟跳動頻率高于成年人，他們的新陳代謝速度通常也更快。但與常見認知相反的是，十幾歲的青少年超級活躍的激素并不會將中心體溫抬升到平常的37攝氏度以上。Jennifer Shu說，通常而言，兒童的體表面積與身體重量之比也要更高，這意味著他們的身體變冷的速度比成年人更快。年齡較大的孩子在天氣寒冷時如果拒絕穿上適當的保暖衣物，他們可能會因為太冷的緣故而變得易怒，并且無法在課堂上集中精力。
'If a body is fighting to stay warm, it is stealing away energy that could be focused on other things, like fighting germs and concentrating,' she says.
她說，如果身體正在為了保暖而戰斗，那么它就會偷走本來可以用在其他事情上的能量，比如與細菌戰斗，比如集中精力。
Wet Is Worse
濕更可怕
Dr. Shu and her colleagues point out that being cold won't cause a child to be sick -- exposure to viruses will. Being wet and cold is a bigger risk, since internal temperatures can drop as moisture evaporates off the skin. Dr. Shu recommends that children who spend a lot of time outside wear thin, wicking fabrics close to the skin, then add a cotton layer to absorb the moisture. On top of that goes at least one other layer, preferably thick.
Jennifer Shu和她的同事們指出，僅僅是冷并不會讓孩子生病，但病毒感染會讓人生病。在感到冷的時候如果還處于濕的狀態，那么風險就會更大，因為隨著水分從皮膚表面蒸發，體內溫度會下降。Jennifer Shu推薦長時間在外面玩耍的孩子貼身穿著吸濕性強的薄衣物，然后外面罩一層棉質衣服，達到吸潮的目的。在棉質衣服的外面至少還要再穿一層，最好是厚衣服。
To motivate fashion-conscious teens, she suggests looking to sports stars for inspiration. 'The Olympics are on right now, and you can see how the athletes cover up in big parkas as soon as they finish their events,' she says. 'They know they perform better when their bodies and muscles are warm.'
為了讓追求時尚的十幾歲的年輕人有穿衣服的動力，她的建議是：向體育明星尋求靈感。她說，現在正在開冬奧會，你會看到，在比賽結束后，運動員們都會立刻穿上毛皮風雪大衣，他們知道，如果身體和肌肉保持溫暖的話，表現會更好。
Pick Your Battle
把握要點
Most older children aren't at high risk for hypothermia or frostbite, since they aren't exposed to cold for prolonged periods, Dr. Shu says. Gloves, hats and scarves are always a good idea. But if she were to pick one essential, it would be boots.
Jennifer Shu說，大多數年紀較大的孩子發生體溫過低或被凍傷的風險并不高，因為他們不會太長時間地停留在寒冷環境中。手套、帽子和圍巾都是不錯的裝備。但她說，如果要選一樣必不可少的，那就是長靴。
'They will prevent a child from being wet and uncomfortable all day,' she says.
她說，有了長靴，孩子一整天都不會濕，也不會感到不舒服。
In her hometown of Atlanta, where boots aren't a regular part of winter wardrobes, Dr. Shu has seen parents Scotchgard sneakers as a temporary measure. Doubling up on clothing can also help keep the wet out and preserve appearances. 'There is a lot of pressure to look cool, I know. So I had my son put on a pair of pants beneath his nylon sports pants,' she says. 'When it snowed again, he did this on his own, and no one knew.'
她的家鄉在亞特蘭大，在那里，人們冬天不怎么穿長靴，Jennifer Shu曾經見過一些家長在孩子的運動鞋上涂防油防水劑，這是一種臨時措施。多穿一層也是既防濕又能顯得很帥的辦法之一。她說，孩子們都要自己看起來酷一點，他們都有這樣的壓力，這我知道，所以我讓我的兒子在運動褲里面再穿一條長褲；等到再下雪的時候，他自己就這么做了，別人都不知道。
Strategic Planning
戰略規劃
Lack of sleep and poor nutrition can make it harder for a growing child to fight the cold. These factors may be more important than bundling up for a walk to the bus stop, Dr. Shu says. She advises parents to teach children how to dress appropriately, then let them take charge of their own bodies.
睡眠不足和營養不良也能讓正在長身體的孩子更難抵御寒冷的侵襲。Jennifer Shu說，在孩子走路到公共汽車站的時候，這些因素可能比多穿衣物更重要。她建議父母教會孩子如何正確穿衣，然后讓他們自己掌控自己的身體。
'Taking a child shopping to pick out his favorites will help to encourage him to actually wear the clothes when he is out of a parent's sightlines, but ultimately a child must learn to make good choices,' she says.
她說。帶孩子去商場，讓他們自己選喜歡的衣服，這樣有助于鼓勵他們在父母看不見的時候真正地去穿這些衣服，但歸根結底，孩子必須學會如何做出好的選擇。
