Babypalooza Magazine Spring 2018

Partners in Kids’ Health
Preventing Hot
Car Tragedies
ALL PARENTS HAVE FORGETFUL MOMENTS.
We forget our cell phones and misplace our car keys,
but what happens if you forget your sleeping baby in
the back seat of the car? Or what if you decide to leave
your baby in the car while you run inside a store for
“just a minute?” Leaving children in hot vehicles is the
primary non-crash, vehicle-related killer of children
under the age of 14, according to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration. In the U.S., an
average of 38 children die each year after being left in
hot cars. Luckily, some new initiatives and technologies
can help parents when forgetful moments happen.
Cars and babies get hot quickly. When the outside
temperature is 85° Fahrenheit, the temperature
inside a car can reach 114° in just 20 minutes. High
temperatures like this can quickly raise body temperatures
to dangerous levels, and a child’s body
heats up three to four times faster than an adult’s. It
only takes 5 minutes of exposure for a heat-related
injury to occur. Children’s of Alabama has joined the
national initiative, ACT, which educates the public
about the dangers of leaving children in hot cars.
AC
T
ACT STANDS FOR:
AVOID HEAT STROKE-RELATED INJURY AND DEATH
Never leave a child alone in the car, not even for a minute. Always lock doors and trunks—even in
the garage or driveway—so a child can’t climb into a hot car unattended, and keep car keys and remote
openers out of the reach of children.
CREATE REMINDERS
Place items, you must have to function, like cellphones, handbags, employee IDs, or brief cases next to
the child safety seat. This can be a helpful reminder on a chaotic day
TAKE ACTION
If a child is found alone in a car, call 911 immediately.
These three steps should help. Also, always have a strict drop-off policy in place with your childcare provider
so that everyone involved in the care of the child is aware of the child’s whereabouts.
If a child won’t be attending daycare as scheduled, parents should inform the childcare provider. Then if
a child doesn’t show up as scheduled, and the childcare provider has not received a call, they will contact
the parent immediately to ensure the safety of the child. And finally, use drive-thru services when available
for restaurants, banks, pharmacies, dry cleaners, etc., and always pay for gas at the pump.
10 BabyPalooza.com