Leaving a child in a hot car can be fatal. The child can die from heat stroke quickly. However this tragedy can be prevented . Here are some ways to keep children safe .

Heat stroke in cars

• heat stroke  is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths in children under 15 years
• heat stroke occurs when the body is unable to cool itself quickly enough
• a child’s body temperature heats up about 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s does
  • when a child is left in a hot car, her major organs begin to shut down when her temperature reaches  104 degrees Fahrenheit (F).
  • a child can die when her temperatures  reaches 107 degrees F.
• cars heat up quickly. A car can heat up to 20 degrees F in about 20 minutes
• heat stroke can occur when the outside temperature is as low as 57 degrees F
• cracking a window or air-conditioning  does little to keep the car cool once the car has been turned off

Set reminders

It is easy to forget a child in the back seat. Being busy, having a change of routine or being distracted increases the risk. Here are some tips you can use prevent this

• You should always check the back seat and make sure all the children are out of the car before locking it and walking away
• avoid distractions such as cell phone use when driving
• tell your child care provider to call you when your child is more than 10 minutes late
• be extra cautious when there is a change in routine such as someone else driving your child or taking a different route to work or school
• if someone else is driving your child, always check to make sure they arrived safely
• put stuff such as your purse or phone in the back seat so that you check the back seat when your arrive at the destination

Lock your car

It is important to keep your car locked at all times  to prevent a curious child from jumping into it. Many hot car deaths  are  as a result of  a child mistakenly locking herself in the car. You should do  the following :

• children do not have access to car keys
• teach your children to know that cars are not  a safe place to play
• keep rear fold down seats closed to prevent a child from crawling into the car
• tell your children that cars especially the trunk are not for games such as hide and seek

NOTE

Whenever a child is missing, always check the pool first, then the car including the trunk.

If you see a child in an unattended car and feel concerned, contact 911 immediately

If the child is not responsive or in pain,

• call 911
• get the child out of the car
• spray the child with cool water

If the child is responsive

• stay with the child until help arrives
• have someone else search for the driver