Across the country, 38 children on average die each year from vehicular heatstroke, often caused by being left in a hot car, authorities say.
During the summer, it’s almost two per week.
More than half of the deaths from pediatric vehicular heatstroke happen when the children are forgotten by caregivers, often when the child isn’t dropped off at day care.
While there have not yet been any pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths in California this year, public health experts are warning that hot summer temperatures increase the risk that a mistake could turn into a tragedy.
“Never leave a child in a car alone,” said pediatrician Ying-Ying Goh, director of the Pasadena Public Health Department. “A child’s body can heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s, so it’s important to remember that they are at greater risk of heatstroke, even at lower temperatures.”
Nationwide, two children died so far this year from vehicular heatstroke, according to NoHeatStroke.org, a site that tracks pediatric vehicle heatstroke deaths.
“We often think we would never forget that there is a child in a car, but there are things in our environment that cause us to be distracted,” Goh said.
The doctor noted that a child could be left behind in a car when, for example, a parent or caregiver is distracted by cellphone usage or when there are changes in a typical morning routine, like a new caregiver dropping a child off at day care.
“The parent could ask for a call, if the child doesn’t arrive within 10 minutes of the start time for preschool, for example,” Goh said.
Here are some other tips for parents and caregivers from the American Academy of…
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