It Still Happens In 2018

How in the world can you forget you have twin infants, less more leave them in a hot car to die. Well that’s what happened a few days ago. Two infants died in Chesterfield, Virginia after they were “unintentionally” left inside a hot car for hours.  Authorities responded around 2:30 p.m. Thursday and found the infants unconscious. One of the twins died soon after arriving at the hospital and another died several hours later. Children and, especially, babies, are especially vulnerable when left inside hot cars. Their bodies dehydrate quickly, and they can’t regulate their body temperature. Their bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults’, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. In 2018, at least two other hot-car deaths have been reported in the United States. A baby boy died in Miami after his father forgot him in February. In April, a South Carolina 10-month-old died after his father forgot to drop him off at a childcare center. Personally I call “BS.” Since 1990, more than 800 children have died after they were left unattended in hot vehicles, according to KidsAndCars.org.  Did you know if you leave a dog in an unattended vehicle and it dies from the heat, you can be fined up to $50,000 and face 5 years in prison for animal cruelty? How do you “unintentionally” leave your babies in a car, walk away and forget about them? Don’t you look out your back window when you drive? Didn’t you put them in there and fasten their seat belts? I feel foolish putting these suggestions from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding forgetting you have children and leaving them in a hot car to die, but I would feel more foolish if I didn’t.

The NHTSA offers some tips for parents:

• Look before you lock: Get into the routine of always checking the back seats of your vehicle before you lock it and walk away.
• Leave yourself a gentle reminder: Get in the habit of keeping a stuffed toy or other momento in your child’s car seat, then move it to the front seat as a visual reminder when the baby is in the back seat. Or, place your phone, briefcase or purse in the back seat when traveling with your child.
• Get in the practice of routine checks: If someone else is driving your child, or your daily routine has been altered, make a call to make sure the child arrived safely at the destination.
• Keep your keys out of children’s reach: Nearly three in 10 heatstroke deaths happen when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle, the NHTSA said.