Don't leave children in hot vehicles this weekend, officials warn

With extreme heat blazing over the state this weekend, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services urges the public to avoid leaving children in vehicles.

"Extreme temperatures are cause for concern, so we advise the public to take necessary steps to keep cool and prevent harm," said Dr. Steve Davis, acting commissioner for public health. "Serious injury — particularly for children exposed to extreme levels of heat — can occur. Everyone should take steps to avoid these dangers."

Last year, 33 children died of heatstroke, also known as hyperthermia. In 2010, there were 49 deaths, according to a cabinet press release.

More than half of child heat stroke deaths happen because parents and caregivers forget the child is in the car. To prevent this from happening, drivers should place a cell phone, purse or briefcase on the floor in front of the child to trigger their awareness. They can also set an alarm to remember to drop their child off at day care.

Parents should not underestimate the risk, since vehicles can heat up very quickly even on relatively cool days. A child's body temperature increases three to five times faster than adults, making them especially vulnerable to heat.

Thirty percent of heat stroke deaths happen because a child was playing in a vehicle that was left unattended. Parents should remember to lock the vehicles to avoid the children being able to enter them.

If a bystander sees a child unattended in a car, he or she could call 911 immediately. (Read more)

Never leave kids in a hot car, officials say in press conference planned even before Louisville toddler died

Following a 2-year-old Louisville boy's death from hyperthermia after he was left alone in a hot car Saturday, health officials warned of the dangers of vehicle-related heat stroke at a news conference in Frankfort yesterday.

"The loss of a child due to hyperthermia is a horrific tragedy that, sadly, we are seeing every year in this state," said Dr. Susan Pollack, coordinator for Kentucky's Safe Kids Coalition.

According to the group, one of 600 such coalitions and chapters around the country, two other child vehicular deaths — one in Texas, another in Louisiana — have already happened this year. Last year was the worst on record with 49 deaths nationwide. There have been 494 deaths in the country from 1998 to 2010, 13 of which happened in Kentucky.

About half the deaths occur when a parent forgets their child is in the car and leaves. "Something in a caregiver's daily routine changes, and the caregiver forgets to drop off the child at day care or with another caregiver and leaves the child in the car," Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. As such, Safe Kids recommends setting a cell phone alarm to remind parents or placing a purse or cell phone near the child to act as a similar memory prompt.

In some cases, parents know they've left their child in the car, but do not realize how hot the car can get. "If you crack the windows, it doesn't make it cooler," Pollack said. One study found the temperature in a vehicle can rise 20 degrees in 10 minutes during warm weather. Moreover, a child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than adults.

About 30 percent of related deaths happen when a child is playing in a car and becomes trapped inside. Safe Kids recommends always locking a vehicle to prevent kids from getting in.

The news conference was planned before the death of 2-year-old Kenton Brown, Musgrave reports. Anyone who intentionally leaves a child in a hot car can face manslaughter charges if the child is younger than 8, Kentucky State Police Lt. David Jude said. (Read more)