(WLUK)— A preventable tragedy is claiming the lives of young children at an alarming rate this summer, as more babies and toddlers die after being left in hot cars. According to Kids and Car Safety, more than five infants have died in hot cars in the past week alone, bringing the total to more than 12 for the year.
Megan Butler, a family medicine physician with Prevea Health, highlighted the dangers of rising temperatures inside vehicles. “A child whose core body temperature reaches 104, their organs can actually start to fail, and then once it gets up to about 107 then it can be fatal,” said Butler. She noted that even on a mild 75-degree day, a car’s interior can rise 20 degrees in just 10 minutes. “Children’s bodies are smaller than ours as adults, and their bodies can actually overheat three to five times faster than adults can,” Butler added.
National data indicates that the majority of hot car deaths occur in children under the age of 3, often left behind unknowingly by loving, responsible caregivers…