Never leave a child alone in a vehicle
Safe Kids Ohio is kicking off their statewide hyperthermia (heat stroke) campaign, Never Leave Your Child Alone, beginning May 24. Nationwide in 2010 there were 49 child deaths attributed to hyperthermia; the worst record in U.S. history for a single year. So far in 2011 there have already been two child deaths and summer has not yet arrived. From 1998 to 2010, there were 14 child hyperthermia deaths in Ohio, with three in 2010.
Heatstroke occurs when a person’s temperature exceeds 104 degrees and their thermoregulatory mechanism is overwhelmed. Symptoms include: dizziness, disorientation, agitation, confusion, sluggishness, seizure, hot dry skin that is flushed but not sweaty, loss of consciousness, rapid heart beat, and hallucinations.
A core body temperature of 107 degrees is considered lethal, as cells are damaged and internal organs shut down.
Children’s thermoregulatory systems are not as efficient as adults and their body temperatures warm at a rate three to five times faster than adults.
Safe Kids Tuscarawas is helping to kick off the Never Leave Your Child Alone campaign by providing an informational display at Safe Kids Day, May 22, from 1-4 p.m., at Kent State Tuscarawas. This display will include trunk entrapment, kids around cars, and an inside/outside thermometer with a car seat and an infant doll in a car. Periodically throughout the summer you may see a white car displayed at various locations throughout the county, starting with Tuscarawas County Job & Family Services, showing the temperature inside a locked car with a doll in a child safety seat, and a simulated dog.
No one believes it can happen to them, but it has happened to every type of parent. The reasons given for the 494 deaths from 1998-2010 were as follows: 51 percent “forgot” the child, 30 percent were a child playing in an unlocked car, and 17 percent were intentionally left in the car.
- Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, not even for a minute
- Call 9-1-1 if a child is seen unattended in a hot vehicle
- When unloading the car, make sure all occupants leave the vehicle. Don’t overlook sleeping babies.
- Always lock the vehicle, and make sure children do not have access to keys or remote entry devices. If a child is missing, check the car first, including the trunk. Teach children that vehicles are never used as a play area.
- Keep a stuffed animal in the car seat and when the child is put in the seat, place the animal in the front with the driver. Or place a purse or briefcase in the backseat as a reminder that you have your child in the car.
- Make “look before you leave” a routine when exiting the car.
- Have a plan so that a child care provider will call if the child does not show up for school.
Remember that cars are not baby-sitters for children or pets. Never leave a child or pet alone in a car in any type of weather. For more information, or to have the display placed at a business, call Patty Maag at 330 343-5555, ext. 137.
Heatstroke occurs when a person’s temperature exceeds 104 degrees and their thermoregulatory mechanism is overwhelmed. Symptoms include: dizziness, disorientation, agitation, confusion, sluggishness, seizure, hot dry skin that is flushed but not sweaty, loss of consciousness, rapid heart beat, and hallucinations.
A core body temperature of 107 degrees is considered lethal, as cells are damaged and internal organs shut down.
Children’s thermoregulatory systems are not as efficient as adults and their body temperatures warm at a rate three to five times faster than adults.
Safe Kids Tuscarawas is helping to kick off the Never Leave Your Child Alone campaign by providing an informational display at Safe Kids Day, May 22, from 1-4 p.m., at Kent State Tuscarawas. This display will include trunk entrapment, kids around cars, and an inside/outside thermometer with a car seat and an infant doll in a car. Periodically throughout the summer you may see a white car displayed at various locations throughout the county, starting with Tuscarawas County Job & Family Services, showing the temperature inside a locked car with a doll in a child safety seat, and a simulated dog.
No one believes it can happen to them, but it has happened to every type of parent. The reasons given for the 494 deaths from 1998-2010 were as follows: 51 percent “forgot” the child, 30 percent were a child playing in an unlocked car, and 17 percent were intentionally left in the car.
- Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, not even for a minute
- Call 9-1-1 if a child is seen unattended in a hot vehicle
- When unloading the car, make sure all occupants leave the vehicle. Don’t overlook sleeping babies.
- Always lock the vehicle, and make sure children do not have access to keys or remote entry devices. If a child is missing, check the car first, including the trunk. Teach children that vehicles are never used as a play area.
- Keep a stuffed animal in the car seat and when the child is put in the seat, place the animal in the front with the driver. Or place a purse or briefcase in the backseat as a reminder that you have your child in the car.
- Make “look before you leave” a routine when exiting the car.
- Have a plan so that a child care provider will call if the child does not show up for school.
Remember that cars are not baby-sitters for children or pets. Never leave a child or pet alone in a car in any type of weather. For more information, or to have the display placed at a business, call Patty Maag at 330 343-5555, ext. 137.
Published: May 17, 2011
