Kids, cars, and heat: What every adult needs to know

April 9, 8:37 AMSingle Parenting ExaminerBarbara Thompson

Previous Next

6 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Single Parenting Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Even on a mild day, temperatures inside a car can
reach dangerous levels in just 20 minutes.
Photo:General Motors
 

Spring has barely arrived and already this year two children have died as a result of being left alone in a hot car. If the trend from the last few years holds, approximately 40 more children nationwide will die from hyperthermia in cars this year. These deaths are entirely preventable.

What is hyperthermia?

Hyperthermia describes heat-related illnesses that result from the body's temperature rising outside the normal range. Infants and children are especially susceptible since their bodies heat up much faster than adults'. When a person's body temperature reaches 104 degrees, the body's cooling system is overwhelmed and begins to shut down. Continued exposure to very high temperatures causes brain damage and at 107 degrees, cells begin to die, organs shut down and death ensues very quickly.

Children and Cars

Since 1998, 417 children have died in hot cars in the US. The average is 38 deaths per year and Georgia ranks 6^th for the most hyperthermia deaths. Roughly half of the hyperthermia deaths occur when a parent or caregiver accidentally leaves a child in the car. Many times the child was supposed to be dropped off at daycare or preschool but the parent forgot. Only about 20% of deaths result from a caregiver intentionally leaving a child in a car while the adult runs errands, visits, etc. The other 30% of deaths occur when children are playing in a car or somehow gain access to a car and are overcome by the heat.

Cars and Heat

Even on mild days, cars heat up very quickly and get very hot - as much as 50 degrees warmer than the outside temperature! That means that even on a 60 degree day, a car can get dangerously hot. Research has shown that within 10 minutes, the temperature inside a car can rise to 20 degrees higher than the outside air. Within half an hour, the car can get 34 degrees hotter. Within an hour, the temperature inside the car plateaus at 40-50 degrees hotter than the outside air. Cracking the windows has little effect on the temperature inside the car.

What can you do?

First and foremost, never leave a child alone in a car even for a minute. Hyperthermia is only one of the dangers; there are so many things that can go wrong in the blink of an eye. It never ceases to amaze me how many people leave children alone in a car while they "run" inside the store, "run" in to pick up carry-out, "run" in to get something from the office, etc. In many states it is against the law to leave a child unattended in a car but it is always reckless and irresponsible.

Second, realize that "it" can happen to you. Before I had children, I heard stories about parents forgetting their children were in the car and I shook my head in disgust. Who "forgets" their child? Now that I have two small children, I realize how much of the time our bodies are operating on autopilot. It only takes a minor distraction, a small change in the routine, and the unthinkable becomes reality.

Take the following precautions:

• Never leave a child alone in a vehicle, even for a minute.
• Make a habit of looking in the back seat whenever you unload the car to make sure that everyone is out. Don't assume that your spouse or older child got the baby out, look to be sure.
• Always keep car doors locked and make sure that children do not have access to keys or remotes.
• Teach children that vehicles are never to be used as a play area.
• If a child goes missing, check the car first, including the trunk.
• Keep a stuffed animal in the car seat and when the child is in the seat, put the toy in the front with the driver as a visual reminder. (Cases of "forgotten" infants skyrocketed when parents started putting children in the backseat instead of the front!)
• Place your purse or briefcase in the backseat as a reminder that you have your child with you.
• Have a policy that your child care provider will call you if your child does not show up for daycare.
• Always be aware of your surroundings. If you see a child alone in a car, take action immediately (call 911, make note of the make, model, and license plate and attempt to have store management page the owner)