Wednesday, August 6, 2003
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Wednesday, August 6, 2003 |
Don't leave kids in the car
Before you leave your kids in the car to dash into the post office or grocery store this summer, consider this: In a matter of minutes, the temperature in your car could top 160 degrees on a hot and humid day even with the windows partly open. That's why public health officials are warning parents against leaving children in vehicles for any length of time. More than 175 children died from heat stroke while sitting in parked vehicles in the United States between 1996 and 2002, and five of those died in Georgia. Heat stroke, a life-threatening emergency, can occur in temperatures as low as 80 degrees, depending on the humidity. Body temperatures higher than 105 degrees can cause permanent damage or even death, especially among children. "Children are at a greater risk for heat stroke because they don't have as much fluid in their bodies, so they don't adapt to heat the way adults do," said Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Public Health. "Younger children don't know how to protect themselves, especially if they're locked in the car. "Never leave a child unattended in a car, even for a minute. Toddlers can also release the gearshift or get trapped in automatic windows. Vehicles make poor baby sitters." For more information, see www.kidsandcars.org or www.safekids.org.
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