By Harriet Hodgson

It’s happening around the world — kids dying from being left unattended in cars. Search the Internet and you will find warnings from Southern states in the US, Hawaii, Arab nations, Australia, and other countries. The kids that don’t die suffer thermal burns from seat belt buckles, severe dehydration, kidney damage, and brain damage. These statistics tell an alarming — and often tragic — story.

- More than 9,000 kids are injured each year when left unattended in vehicles. (American College of Surgeons, “Statement on Prevention of Nontraffic Vehicle-Related Injuries in Children”)

- Unattended children may become entrapped in the trunk, set a vehicle in motion, or be abducted. (Georgia Department of Human Resources, “Leaving Children Unattended in Vehicles can Be Deadly”)

- Parking in the shade or leaving windows open doesn’t protect kids. Even on cool days vehicles can heat up quickly, with the greatest increase occurring in the first 15-20 minutes. (McLaren, Null, and Quinn, “Heat Stress from Enclosed Vehicles: Moderate Ambient Temperatures Cause Significant Temperature Rise in Enclosed Vehicles”)

- If the outside temperature is 75 degrees the temperature inside the vehicle can spike to 110 degrees in just 10 minutes. (Florida Department of Public Safety, “See and Save: If you Can’t See Children You Can’t Save Them”)

- Metal vehicles, especially dark ones, act like solar ovens. When the outside temperature is 93 degrees the inside temperature can shoot up to 125 degrees in 20 minutes. (Texas A & M Cooperative Extension, “Leaving Children Unattended in Vehicles”)

- Infants and toddlers are more sensitive to extreme heat. According to a 2002 Centers for Disease Control report, most fatalities occur in children three years old and under. (Massachusetts Children’s Trust Fund, “Kids Alone in Cars? Not Even for a Minute.”)

- Heat stroke (hyperthermia) occurs when the body temperature reaches 104 degrees. But in many cases of heat stroke the child’s body temperature had reached a whopping 108 degrees, the highest number on a thermometer. (National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, “Unattended Children in Cars”)

- An average of 29 children died per year in 1998-2002 from being left unattended in vehicles. (McLaren, Null and Quinn, “Heat Stress from Enclosed Vehicles: Moderate Ambient Temperatures Cause Significant Temperature Rise in Enclosed Vehicles”)

One death is too many. A child should never be left unattended in a vehicle. not even for a miniute. When it comes to heat stroke, every minute counts. Call 911 immediately if you see an unattended child. Your call could save a life. Your call could save a family from sorrow.

Copright 2008 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 30 years. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com

Centering Corporation in Omaha, Nebraska, North America’s oldest and largest grief resource center, is publishing her 26th book, “Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life.” The company is also publishing the “Writing to Recover Journal” and the “Writing to Recover Affirmations Calendar.” The three products are slated for early fall release.

Log onto Harriet’s website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.

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