KT For Good: Let hot cars not devour kids

Part 10 of our #BeSummerSafe campaign is a reminder that it is never safe to leave a kid inside a car - not even for a few minutes.

A crash is not the only incident that can get a child killed inside a car. Heat stroke poses serious risks, too - and medical experts have said it is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths in children under 15 years.
Heat stroke happens when the body is not able to cool itself quickly enough. Leaving a child inside a locked car, even for just 15 minutes, can be fatal because a child's body temperature can rise up to five times faster than an adult's.
"Children simply cannot regulate their body temperature, unlike how adults can. This is why every year, many kids - mostly under the age of three - die due to heat stroke, after being left in parked cars. The younger the children, the more at risk they are," Dr Asrar Rashid, paediatric consultant at NMC Royal Hospital, Abu Dhabi, told Khaleej Times.
Cars heat up quickly and a kid's body cannot handle extreme temperatures, another specialist explained. 
"When left in a hot car, a child's major organs begin to shut down when his temperature reaches 41 degrees Celsius. A child can die when his temperature reaches 44 degrees Celsius," said Dr Rima Mounla, director for neonatal services at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai.
Dr Rashid warned that "while heat stroke deaths in cars typically occur in the summer months and in hot climates, it can also occur even when outside temperatures are as low as 16 degrees Celsius".
Even on a moderately sunny day, a car can be like an oven, with the temperature rising to 20 degrees or more in 10 minutes, he added.
It is, therefore, critical to check a vehicle from the front to the back seat and make sure all children are out of the car before locking it and walking away.
Earlier in June, a six-year-old Indian boy died after he was forgotten on a bus for several hours at an Islamic centre in Dubai. According to family sources, the boy had dozed off after boarding the bus from Karama. He was left behind after all the other students disembarked outside the centre at 8am.
"Prudence saves lives," said Dr Mounla. "But, sometimes, a parent or caregiver - even a very loving and attentive one - can forget that a child is in the back seat. Being busy or distracted or having a change from the usual routine increases the risk."
Dr Rashid added that in some cases of heat-stroke-related deaths, there has been "a mere moment of misjudgement" on the part of a busy parent.
"The parent thinks he or she will be away for just a minute or two, but returns later than expected. In other cases, the adult in charge of the child that day forgets that a sleeping child is in the back seat," he said.
But there are many reminders that can prevent kids from getting trapped inside a car.
"First, always lock your car when you're not in it and keep your keys and remote entry fobs out of your kids' sight and reach," Dr Rashid said.
Also, open the back door of your vehicle every time you reach your destination to get in the habit of checking your car and ensuring that no child is left behind. Parents can also create reminders by putting an important item next to their child. It can be something that they would need when they arrive at their final destination.
Try to have water available in the car (preferably with a cooler) and, if the child is old enough, teach him or her how to reach for the water.
On top of it all, take action. Protecting children is everyone's business. If you see an unattended child in a car, you should immediately call 999.
angel@khaleejtimes.com

• KT For Good