What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know About Hyperthermia or Heat Stroke

Never Leave Your Child Alone

Did you know that a child’s body heats up 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s? It only takes a few short minutes before a kid can become dangerously overheated.

Every year, more than 30 children die because they are left alone in a car. In just 10 minutes a car’s temperature can increase by 19 degrees and it continues to rise as time goes on. There is no evidence that cracking the windows helps keep a car cool. In fact, sunshine coming through car windows makes the car work like an oven.

Make it a point to never leave your child alone in a car, even for one minute. We know that it seems like an innocent act to leave a child in a back seat while you make a quick run into a store to pick up a few things; however, this is dangerous because it only takes a few minutes to put your child at risk. Make it a habit to check the back seat every time you exit and remember to Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car.

Safety Tip

Top Safety Tips

  • Place your cell phone, PDA, purse, briefcase, gym bag, lunch bag on the floor in front of your child’s car seat. Be sure it is something that you always carry with you.
  • Set your cell phone to go off at the same time each day to remind you that the baby should have been dropped off at daycare.
  • Set your daily calendar in Outlook to remind you that the baby should be at child care. Many tragedies have happened as the caregiver drove on to work instead of stopping at daycare.
  • Keep a special toy in your child’s empty car seat when the child is not with you. Bring that toy to the front seat when the child is in the car seat.
  • Call 911 if you see children unattended in a car. The first responders tell us they would rather have those calls so they can determine if the child is at risk than have the emergency call later when a child is in deep trouble.
  • Keep car doors and trunks locked so children cannot play in them. Keep keys and remote entry keyfobs out of children’s reach. Kids may be able to use a remote entry keyfob to unlock a car from inside a house leaving an unlocked car for others to enter.
  • Make it a habit to check the back seat when you exit the car.

Questions and Anwsers Questions and Anwsers

Question:

At what age is it ok to leave children alone in a car for a few minutes as I run errands?

Answer:

There is no safe way for you to leave a child of any age alone in a car-even for one minute. We have recorded deaths of children all the way up to age 13 who were overcome by heat in a car. The car can be a very scary place for a young child as it heats up quickly on a cool day. Think of it on a very hot day!

Also, children left alone in a car are vulnerable to car jacking, strangers who may be up to no good and a myriad of other dangers if they are unrestrained. Some children have been able to set cars in motion by releasing brakes and putting the car in gear. They have been entangled in seat belts and trapped in power windows. So make it a practice to Never Leave A Child Alone in a car.

 

This video shows how quickly temperatures inside of a car can increase, putting anyone inside of that car at risk of injuries or even death caused by hyperthermia.

 

Source: Jan Null, San Francisco State University
Video produced by General Motors