Dealing with the Unthinkable...in the Blink of an Unwatchful Eye

The unthinkable: a child dies because the parent isn't paying attention; they look away for a moment. It can happen at a shopping mall. It can happen at a playground. It can happen in a bathtub. It only takes a minute. But it changes everything forever.

And lately, it seems to be happening in cars. The summer seems to bring out the worst in some people. The headlines never cease to amaze me. A parent "forgets" their child is strapped in a car seat, and goes to work for the day, leaving the child in the car. The notion that it would ever be okay to leave your child in a car while you run an errand, no matter how long the errand. And yet, that's what we read in the newspapers every day.

A parent turns around and their child is gone. A parent leaves a car running for a moment, with their child in the backseat, only to return and find their car, and their child, gone. How is it that a country as developed as the United States can still account for this kind of ignorance about a child's safety? How can safety education NOT be the number one priority?

The 2007 UNICEF report, "Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries", finds the United States ranks lowest of 21 developed nations surveyed in five out of six categories, followed by the United Kingdom. The United States has the lowest rate in child health and safety, and American children are also more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol use and sexual activity.

Here in the United States, we already know that accidents are the number one cause of death among children ages 2 and above, and those under the age of 8 are more likely to sustain accidental injuries that result in death or disability. The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control tell us that motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children, and drowning is the second leading cause among children 14 and younger.

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, 30 million children pay visits to emergency facilities and emergency rooms in the United States every year. At last count, each year more than 200,000 American children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries occurring on playgrounds (NIH), more than 260,000 kids are injured in motor vehicle accidents (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), approximately 2 million preschoolers are exposed to poisons (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control) and approximately 3 million children who fall require emergency room treatment (American Academy of Pediatrics).

Information and education are the keys to prevention, and at Safety4Kids we work hard to provide that information through a variety of media, trying to reach as many parents and young children as possible. It is a challenging process.

Back to the issue at hand: children left in automobiles.

In a study published in the journal of Pediatrics, a Stanford University professor found that the temperature inside a parked car increases 19 degrees within 10 minutes and 40 degrees within a daytime hour, regardless of outside temperature. The sharp increase is due to the greenhouse effect--the sun's rays pass through the windows, but the interior heat cannot escape.

"The take-home message is that you should never leave kids alone in a car," said Dr. James Quinn, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Stanford.

Cracking the windows or running the air conditioning before turning off the engine does not keep the car any cooler.

Children are particularly vulnerable because they have a higher ratio of body surface area to weight, the study found.

Nine states, including California, have laws designed to prevent children from dying in overheated cars. In California, "Kaitlyn's Law" makes it illegal for any parent or guardian to leave any child 6 years or younger in a car without supervision.

Another medical study found that most deaths occur when an adult simply forgets a child is in the car. Others occur when children accidentally lock themselves inside a car or when a parent intentionally leaves a child in a car to run an errand.

"Think of your parked car as an oven," says Jennifer Tolle, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina and co-chair of the NC Child Fatality Task Force. "Your car becomes like an oven in a matter of minutes on a hot summer day. You should no more leave your child in the car, even with the windows rolled down, than you should allow your child to sit in the oven in your home."

Several North Carolina parents currently face child abuse charges for leaving children in hot cars. It is not a good idea to leave a child under the age of 10 in a car alone, regardless of the temperature outside. Hazards include a stranger abducting the child and the child releasing the break or wandering away from the vehicle. Every year serious injuries or death result when children are left along in the car.

To keep your kids safe, follow these tips:

1. Always keep your car doors locked even when the car is in the garage. Children may play in the car and can become trapped when they're not strong enough to open the doors.

2. Check the temperature of child safety seats and seat belts before buckling kids up. The metal can become hot enough to cause burns.

3. Call 911 immediately if you find a child left alone in a parked car or your child becomes locked in your car. The child's life may depend upon it.

4. Ensure that children drink plenty of fluids.

5. Avoid being in the sun between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Have children wear sunscreen on all exposed areas of the body every day. Have children wear a hat and sunglasses.

The real take-home message is that things happen in the blink of an eye. If you are not diligent and watchful, you may end up being the very headline you dread. When it comes to children and safety, there are no shortcuts, and there are no excuses.

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