Kids in the Car

We've all been there before; you've got to run in the post office/drug store or any quick stop where you just know you'll be in and out. What would the harm be in leaving your little one(s) in the vehicle while you run in and get it done? You can do it 10x's quicker if it's just you ....
Or perhaps you're like me and forgetful (brainless, in my case). Believe it or not, many parents actually forget that their child is in the car.

Guest columnist Amy Wadsworth, Public Information Coordinator for the Partnership for Children of Lincoln and Gaston Counties, reports on why you should never leave a child alone in the car - and what to do to prevent you from forgetting them.

“Beat the Heat, Check the Backseat.”

This is an important saying for caregivers/parents who have children in the back seat of a vehicle.

Did you know in 2010 there were 49 children nationwide that died in cars as a result of hyperthermia? In 2011 there have been 3 already!

Angela Ross, Trauma Program Coordinator with CaroMont Health Trauma Services in Gastonia knows first-hand the effects of leaving children unattended in vehicles.

“It’s a tragic fact that 8 out of 10 deaths are because parents forgot their child was in the vehicle,” Ross said. “I don’t want to see anyone live with that kind of guilt.”

On an 80 degree day, temperatures can exceed 100 degrees in less than 10 minutes, which can be fatal. “Cracking” a window has little to no effect on soaring temperatures.

Children’s temperature regulation systems are less efficient, which means their body temperatures warm 3 to 5 times faster than adults.

Ross said vehicles in the heat are like a convection oven. The windows amplify the heat and trap it inside, she said.

Never leave your child alone in the vehicle!

Here are some safety tips to remember (According to Safe Kids USA):

·      Leave your purse, wallet, or briefcase on the floor board of the back seat to remind yourself that your child is in the car. Most deaths are unintentional resulting from forgetting there is a child in the car.

·      Put a sticker with a baby picture on the rearview mirror.

·      Keep a stuffed animal in the car seat. When placing the child in the car seat, put the stuffed animal up front with the driver.

·      Set your cell phone reminder to be sure you dropped your child off at their childcare center.

·      Dial 911 immediately if you see a child unattended in a car.

·      Lock all vehicle doors and the trunk after everyone is out of the car. Keep keys out of children’s reach.

Check the car and trunks first if a child goes missing. 

PFCLG is funded through Smart Start, North Carolina’s award winning early childhood initiative designed to ensure that children enter school healthy.The mission of PFCLG is to serve as a leading advocate and collaborative resource to provide access to high quality services for young children.