Protecting our children: Preventing pediatric heat stroke in vehicles
As temperatures rise across Texas, the risk of pediatric heat stroke due to children being left in vehicles becomes a pressing concern. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is committed to educating parents, guardians and caregivers across the state on the danger of pediatric heatstroke.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths in children under 15, with Texas, unfortunately, leading the nation in such incidents.
“It’s unfortunate, but heatstroke deaths from vehicles are 100% preventable,” shares Danae Hicks, County Extension Agent for Family and Community Health and Child Passenger Safety Technician, “changes in routines, stress or rushing are all common causes of forgetting children in the back seat.”
To combat this, Hicks emphasizes the importance of the A.C.T. approach:
● A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death.
○ Never leave a child alone in a car, not even for a minute. Texas Law states that “A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly leaves a child in a motor vehicle for longer than five minutes, knowing that the child is: younger than seven years of age; and not attended by an individual in the vehicle who is 14 years of age or older. An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.”
○ Always lock your vehicle’s doors and trunk, even when parked at home, to prevent children from climbing in unnoticed
● C: Create reminders.
○ Place a personal item like a purse or briefcase in the back seat as a reminder.
○ Keep a stuffed animal in the child’s car seat when it’s empty and move it to the front seat when the child is in the car as a visual cue.
○ Make a commitment with your child care, friend or family member to share how drop off goes every day.
● T: Take action.
○ If you see a child alone in a car, call 911 immediately. Emergency personnel are trained to respond to these situations.
○ Have someone go inside the store, or wherever you are located and call out the car’s make, model and license plate, sharing that there is an unattended child inside.
Additional safety tips include:
● Teach children not to play in or around cars.
● Always check the back seat before locking your car and walking away.
● If a child is missing, check vehicles and trunks immediately.
It’s crucial to remember that even on mild days, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise rapidly, leading to fatal consequences. Within the first 10 minutes of leaving a car the internal temperature inside rises on average 19º. A child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s, making them especially vulnerable.
For more information and resources on preventing pediatric heatstroke, reach out to the Ellis County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service at 972-825-5175 or Family and Community Health Agent, Danae Hicks at danae.hicks@ag.tamu.edu.
About Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is committed to improving the lives of Texans through education and outreach. Our programs provide practical, research-based knowledge in areas such as health, safety, agriculture, and community development.
