CLEVELAND, OH (CLEVELAND CLINIC) - Each year, about 40 children die from heatstroke because they were either left or became trapped inside a hot car. Vehicles can heat up to dangerous levels in minutes, and kids are especially vulnerable to those extreme temperatures.
“Children have a very high BMR, which is a basal metabolic rate – so their temperature climbs almost three to five times faster, and they lose sweat slower,” explained Purva Grover, MD, emergency medicine physician for Cleveland Clinic Children’s.
Dr. Grover stressed that while hot car deaths are tragic, they’re also preventable. It’s important to remember temperatures inside a vehicle can rise nearly 20 degrees within the first 10 minutes. That’s why Dr. Grover said it’s never safe to leave a child inside a car unsupervised for any amount of time. And while it may seem unthinkable, it can be easier than you think to get out of your car without checking the back seat. Dr. Grover recommends keeping an important item like a phone or purse next to your child in the back seat, so you never forget to check.
It’s also possible for a child to climb into an unlocked vehicle and get trapped inside.
“If you have a swimming pool and a car in your garage, those are the two places you must immediately check if you are unable to find your child,” Dr. Grover said. “It takes minutes for these tragedies to happen, and they are preventable.”
Dr. Grover added if you see a child alone inside a car, don’t hesitate to call 911. Taking action as a bystander could save a life.
