PEDIATRICS Vol. 86 No. 2 August 1990, pp. 282-288
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Children in Sauna: Cardiovascular Adjustment

Eero Jokinen MD1, Ilkka Välimäki MD1, Kari Antila MD1, Asko Seppänen MD1, and Juhani Tuominen PhilLic1

1 From the Cardiorespiratory Research Unit, University of Turku; the Department of Pediatrics, University of Turku; the Rehabilitation Research Centre of the Social insurance Institution, Turku; and the Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

Children's circulatory adjustment to a 10-minute heat stress in a climatic chamber was studied in 61 children and 20 adolescents and young adults. The thermal conditions corresponded to those of an ordinary Finnish sauna bath. In all subjects the rectal temperature and heart rate increased during the heat exposure (P < .001). Systolic and diastolic blood pressures remained unchanged in sauna, but the systolic and especially the diastolic blood pressure decreased (P < .001) in children less than 10 years of age immediately after the heat exposure; two vasovagal collapses developed. Cardiac output increased in all but the less than 5-year-old children (P < .001). This was due to a significant decrease in stroke volume (32.9%) (P < .001) in children less than 5 years old. Stroke volume declined slightly even in the older subjects. These changes indicate that the Finnish sauna bath puts great demands on a child's circulatory regulation. To avoid possible cardiovascular side effects, particularly small children should be supervised carefully during sauna bathing.

Key Words: heart rate • stroke volume • cardiac output • blood pressure • sauna bath

Submitted on August 25, 1989
Accepted on January 24, 1990




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