Practice proper car safety, no matter the heat index
Hectic and demanding lifestyles can lead parents to make mistakes. If you spot an unattended child in a locked car who is not responsive or appears to be in distress, call 9-1-1. If you can’t get help, attempt to get into the car to assist the child — even if that means breaking a window.
“It is not necessary for the outside temperature to be hot for the inside of a car to heat up to dangerous levels. A child’s body can heat up faster than an adult, which can damage their brain and can even lead to death,” says Amit Parkhe, a nurse practitioner at Advocate Medical Group Primary Care in Roanoke, Ill.
Follow these three tips to learn more:
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health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
Notice that the window of the car in the picture is down, so that’s probably not a good illustration of a child potentially in danger. Furthermore, there are groceries and dry cleaning in the back seat with him and he’s wide awake and content. This is a good illustration of a time *not* to call the police.
While we’re criticizing the picture, it should be noted that the car seat shown hasn’t been a recommended type since sometime in the 1980s. They should have a 5 point harness, not something that looks like a restraint for a roller coaster.
Glad to see that they included pets. They are just as susceptible to an overheated car.