Never Leave A Child Alone In A Car. Some Tips To Keep From Making A Deadly Error

Across the country, 38 children on average die each year from vehicular heatstroke, often caused by being left in a hot car, authorities say.

During the summer, it’s almost two per week.

More than half of the deaths from pediatric vehicular heatstroke happen when the children are forgotten by caregivers, often when the child isn’t dropped off at day care.

While there have not yet been any pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths in California this year, public health experts are warning that hot summer temperatures increase the risk that a mistake could turn into a tragedy.

“Never leave a child in a car alone,” said pediatrician Ying-Ying Goh, director of the Pasadena Public Health Department. “A child’s body can heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s, so it’s important to remember that they are at greater risk of heatstroke, even at lower temperatures.”

Nationwide, two children died so far this year from vehicular heatstroke, according to NoHeatStroke.org, a site that tracks pediatric vehicle heatstroke deaths.

“We often think we would never forget that there is a child in a car, but there are things in our environment that cause us to be distracted,” Goh said.

The doctor noted that a child could be left behind in a car when, for example, a parent or caregiver is distracted by cellphone usage or when there are changes in a typical morning routine, like a new caregiver dropping a child off at day care.

“The parent could ask for a call, if the child doesn’t arrive within 10 minutes of the start time for preschool, for example,” Goh said.

Here are some other tips for parents and caregivers from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Los Angeles Fire Department:

• Never leave a child of any age in a vehicle unattended for any length of time. Rolling down the windows or parking in shaded areas does little to change the inside temperature of the vehicle.
• Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle before locking it, especially the back seat.
• Get in the habit of putting a personal item like a cellphone, purse, work badge, water bottle, or keys in the back seat to act as an extra reminder to check your vehicle before locking it and walking away.
• Leave a teddy bear in the car seat. When you put the child in the car seat, place the teddy bear in the front seat with you. It acts as a reminder to take your child out of the vehicle.
• Some cars have built-in reminders to check for children — pay attention to them.

Outside temperatures are in the 70s. Is that cool enough? 

No temperature is safe. On a 72-degree day, a parked car’s interior can climb to a deadly temperature in less than 30 minutes, according to Goh.

“In just 10 minutes a car can heat up 20 degrees Fahrenheit,” she said. ”People may think they can run inside for an errand and leave the child in the car, but people get distracted.”

I don’t have kids. How can I help? 

Adults should always lock car doors and trunks, even at home, and keep keys out of children’s reach. This will keep neighborhood children or visiting children from getting trapped in a parked car while playing.

If you see a child alone in a car, call emergency services, Goh said, and stay with the child and car until help arrives.

Even just a few minutes can save a child’s life.