7 Essential Tips to Safeguard Children from Heatstroke
This is a story that unfolds far too frequently.
After a Fourth of July celebration, a toddler tragically remained in a car overnight and lost their life. In April 2021, a mother from North Carolina left her 5-month-old confined in a vehicle for several hours. A 3-year-old in Indiana died after being similarly secured in their car seat throughout a hot day. Additionally, two children in Texas perished in unrelated events in June 2019.
There are numerous circumstances that lead to this devastating situation.
“Children are incredibly curious … They can climb into the car by themselves,” explained Janette Fennell, president and founder of Kids and Cars, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing child safety around vehicles.
“People often let their guard down when their car is parked in the driveway or garage,” Fennell continued. “It’s crucial to never leave your car unlocked, even at home.”
Statistics on Hot Car Deaths
Since 1990, nearly 1,000 children have lost their lives due to vehicular heatstroke. This statistic translates to the death of a child in a hot vehicle approximately every 10 days, as per the Department of Transportation.
The majority of these tragedies occur because children are accidentally forgotten. Some youngsters enter vehicles without their parents knowing and become trapped. A smaller portion of cases involves parents mistakenly believing that their children are safe to be left alone.
Can You Die in a Hot Car?
Infants and toddlers are at the greatest risk — 87% of children who have died from heat exposure in cars are under the age of three.
“Children and infants are particularly vulnerable because they struggle to regulate their body temperature,” stated Dr. Richard Saladino, chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. “When the external temperature is 90 degrees, the temperature inside a vehicle can soar from 80 to 130 degrees in just 10 to 15 minutes.”
This extreme heat can raise a child’s core body temperature to 106 degrees, resulting in heat stroke.
“Temperatures can escalate rapidly to levels where the body cannot cope anymore,” warned Dr. Amy Sniderman, pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s.
Fennell believes that exhausted, overwhelmed parents may inadvertently forget their little ones. Many parents operate under the assumption that they’ve dropped their child off at daycare, only to later realize that the child remained in the vehicle. Others might not even be aware that their kids have climbed inside on their own.
Preventing Hot Car Deaths:
Fennell suggests these seven essential tips that every parent should adhere to:
Always check before you lock.
Open the back door and inspect the backseat to ensure that everyone has exited the vehicle (even if you believe you’re child-free).
Place something necessary in the backseat.
Keep your cell phone, handbag, laptop, lunch, ID badge, or any other essential item beside your child in the back.
Travel with a furry friend.
Have a stuffed toy in the car seat. When the baby is in the car seat, let the plush toy sit in the front passenger seat as a reminder that the baby is in the back.
Always secure the doors.
Regardless of whether the car is parked in the garage, always keep the doors locked to prevent inquisitive children from entering the vehicle.
Store keys and key fobs safely.
Children might be tempted to play with the keys and gain access to the car without their parents noticing.
Coordinate with your childcare provider.
If your child does not arrive at daycare or school and no prior notice has been given, someone should reach out to see where the child is.
If you notice something unusual, take action.
If you see a child unattended in a vehicle, don’t hesitate to contact 911.
“The most significant error people make is assuming it can never happen to them,” Fennell cautions.
“When you think ‘this could never happen to me,’ you are allowing yourself to bypass these vital safety measures … it’s much easier to blame others than to realize that we’re all at risk.”
This article was initially published in July 2015 and has since been updated.