Baby on Board: safety is no child’s play

  • Published
  • By Alisa Norlin
  • 22nd Medical Operations Squadron
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and is observed by the Department of Defense as the Month of the Military Child. Rising temperatures pose a special danger for children, especially when left unattended in motor vehicles. With summer fast approaching, now is an ideal time to review child car safety tips.

In 2007, 35 children died nationwide due to overheating, after being left alone in a vehicle, and in 2006, 29 children died for the same reason. These deaths are preventable. One misconception is that outside temperatures have to be extreme to result in harm. This is not the case. In just 10 minutes, temperatures can rise 19 degrees inside a vehicle. In fact, death can result with outdoor temperatures in the low 70s. Heat stroke happens when the core body temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit. At 107 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature becomes fatal. A child's heat regulating system is not as efficient as adults'. Children's bodies warm at a rate 3 to 5 times faster than adults. If parents or caregiver leave a child in a car based on how outside temperatures affect them, the outcome can be devastating.

Other dangers for children left in vehicles alone include injuries caused when a vehicle is put in motion by children, car theft with unattended children in the car, and injuries and death caused by children operating power windows.
Additionally, child safety involves children who are not seen by drivers. There are blind spots both in front and to the rear of vehicles. Most of us are aware of the incidents where children are injured or killed when a driver backs up over a child with their vehicle. It is also easy to forget that children can play in the street or run out in front of a vehicle.

As we enter summer and finish our annual child focused celebrations, please take time to consider common hazards caused by a quick stop at the store or a drive around town. Remember, as adults we must always be vigilant in protecting children.