Kids in hot cars are a deadly combination. Whether intentional or accidental, these deaths are preventable, which makes it all the more tragic. Here are some helpful tips to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
• Never leave a child alone in a parked car, even with the windows rolled down, or air conditioning on. Children’s body temperature can heat up 3 to 5 times faster than adults. A core temperature of 107 is lethal.
• Always look in both the front and back of the vehicle before locking the door and walking way.
• Heatstroke can occur in temperatures as low as 57 degrees. On an 80-degree day, temperatures inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels in just 10 minutes.
• Never let children play in an unattended vehicle. Teach them a vehicle is not a play area.
• Always lock your vehicle doors and trunk and keep the keys out of a child’s reach. If a child is missing, quickly check all vehicles, including the trunk. Is dropping a child of not part of your normal routine? Come up with some ways to remind yourself that the child is in the car.
• Place an item that you keep on you, like a briefcase or purse, in the back seat next to the car seat, so that you’ll always check the back seat before you leave the car.
• Call your spouse after you drop the child of to make sure you didn’t forget.
• Have daycare call you if your child doesn’t show up.
• Write a note and place it on the dashboard of the car. Or set a reminder on your cell phone or calendar. You can also download the Baby Reminder App for iPhones. If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle:
• Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
• If they are in distress due to heat, get them out as quickly as possible. Cool the child rapidly, by spraying them with cool water or a garden hose. NEVER use an ice bath.
• National Highway Traff Safety Administration -www.safercar.gov/ heatstroke
• San Francisco State University, Department of Earth & Climate Studies -www.ggweather.com/heat/
• Safe Kids -www.safekids.org • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia -www.chop.edu
This information is also available for download here:
http://www.ecbm.com/resources/kids-hot-cars-heastroke-safety-tips-parents-caregivers
Source: Parents Central Safercar.gov