Never leave child in vehicle that is running
Q: Is it really that dangerous to leave my child in the car for just a few minutes with the windows cracked?
A: Yes, it is that dangerous. NEVER leave your child or pet in the car, especially when things heat up outside. Cracking the windows does not cool off your vehicle at all. In fact, a child can suffer heat stroke from being left in a car when it is 57 degrees outside. How is this possible?
Heat inside the car is generated by a combination of solar radiation, heat convection, and long wave radiation from heated objects. Within 10 minutes a car can heat up 20 degrees. Children’s small bodies absorb heat much more quickly than adult bodies, and their perspiration is less effective at cooling them. Also, many of them are unable to get out of the vehicle or remove clothing to cool off. Initially, the heat causes mild discomfort and physiological strain.
Once a child’s temperature rises to 104 degrees, they are at high risk of suffering heat stroke. Heat stroke can be associated with feeling faint, extreme tiredness or drowsiness, headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, intense thirst, increased work of breathing, muscle aches or spasms, skin numbness or tingling, and decreased urination. Over 104 degrees, children can suffer delirium, seizures, coma, and death. This is a very different situation from when a child has a fever. With fever, the body has a regulated rise and increased set point in temperature that helps the body fight infection better. Fever does not damage the body, heat stroke can.
Unfortunately, children continue to die every year from being left inside vehicles. This is completely preventable. Data from the website noheatstroke.org reports that as of July 18, 23 children have died of heat related illness from being left in cars this year alone. In fact, 723 children have died from heat stroke due to being left in vehicles since 1998. 54 percent were forgotten by their caregiver; 28 percent were from children who were playing in an unattended vehicle; 17 percent were intentionally left in the vehicle; 1 percent unknown. Thankfully, no child deaths have been reported in New Mexico this year, but 9 children have died between 1998-2016 from heat stroke caused by being left in hot vehicles.
Safe Kids Worldwide has launched a prevention campaign to address this preventable issue. It is called “ACT: Avoid. Create Reminders. Take Action. “It can be found on autoalliance.org. AVOID heat strokerelated injury and death by never leaving your child alone in the car even for one minute. And make sure to keep your car locked when you’re not in it so kids don’t get in on their own. CREATE REMINDERS by placing something in back next to your child such as a briefcase, purse or cell phone that is needed at your final destination. This is especially important if you aren’t following your normal routine. TAKE ACTION if you see a child alone in a car, dial 911. Emergency personnel want you to call, and they are trained to respond in these situations. One call could save a life. Some other helpful tips from nhtsa.gov include:
Look before you lock. Get into the routine of always checking the back seats of your vehicle before your lock it and walk away.
A gentle reminder. Keep a stuffed animal in your child’s car seat when it is empty, and move it to the front seat to be a visual reminder when your child is in the back seat.
A routine check. If someone else is driving your child, or your routine has been altered, always check to make sure your child has arrived
safely.
Pets are people, too. Leave your pets at home if you are unable to take them inside with you while running errands. Melissa Mason is a general pediatrician with Journey Pediatrics in Albuquerque. Please send your questions to her at melissaemason@gmail.com.