26 Jul Face It Friday: Beat the Heat! Staying Safe and Healthy on Hot Summer Days

It is hot, hot, HOT! As the summer continues to heat up, it’s important to remember that a child’s body temperature rises 3-5 times faster than adults. Heat stroke can happen when the child’s body cannot cool itself quickly enough.

Any parent or caregiver, even a very loving and attentive one, can forget a child is in the back seat. Being especially busy or distracted or having a change from the usual routine increases the risk. The good news: there are several ways to help prevent a tragedy.

Tips to make sure a child is not left in the back seat alone:

-Set a reminder on your phone with the anticipated arrival time.

-Leave your purse, briefcase, or phone in the backseat.

-If someone else is driving your child, call them to make sure they arrived safely.

​A few important reminders:

-The temperature of a car can climb 20 degrees in 20 minutes.

-Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths in children under 15. It can occur in the shade, with the windows down, and even at temperatures as low as 57 degrees.

-Teach children that cars are not safe places to play. Make sure children do not have easy access to car keys by storing them out of their reach.

For more information on how to keep kids safe from the summer heat, check out Prevent Child Deaths in Hot Cars and Protecting Children from Extreme Heat from the American Academy of Pediatrics.