Twelve helpless children have died this year while they were trapped in a hot car. Four of them were in Florida. As summer temperatures rise in the Sunshine State, so do the dangers of child heat stroke. It is important that all of us recognize these dangers and take steps to keep our children safe. LOOK BEFORE YOU LOCK.
Child heat stroke happens quickly. In just 10 minutes, the interior of a car heats up 19 degrees. After an hour, the heat increases by 40 degrees. Children’s bodies heat up 3-5 times faster than adults and heatstroke begins when the child’s core body temperature reaches 104 degrees. Death occurs at 108 degrees.
Most parents would like to believe that this could never happen to them. But more than half of these tragedies are unintentional with the child being left unknowingly by a loving, devoted parent or caregiver. Stresses parents face in everyday life can make memory lapses more likely and even create temporary false memories…