Health expert reminds parents of heat-related dangers

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - May 26 is National Heat Awareness Day and parents must be mindful and knowledgeable on how to protect their kids this summer.

Over the past 25 years, 940 children have died from being left in the car, whether their parents did it by mistake or knowingly, according to Kids and Cars.org

“Within minutes leaving a kid in the car can become fatal”, said Registered Nurse of Integrity Urgent Care Meagan Hensley. “I have seen many stories about cars rising in heat within just 5 minutes. Even just turning your car off and sitting in the car, it does not take very long for you to be miserable enough to open the car door and want to get out”

Since 2019, there have been 19 deaths due to kids being trapped in a car and suffering a heat stroke in the state of Texas. A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s. When they are left or trapped in a car, the temperature rises quickly and could be dangerous.

Parents go inside a store and don’t plan on staying long, but it doesn’t take long for things to become dangerous.

“Kids do not sweat as much as adults or as efficiently as adults,” said Hensley. “They also have a higher increase in their heart rate naturally and their respiratory rate as well. All of those things can lead to children just burning off more of their body’s fluid composition, which just leads to dehydration faster.”

Parents can place certain items, like a diaper bag, in the passenger seat so they can be reminded of their kids in the backseat. Even some new car models have alert systems built in to remind drivers they could have items or passengers in the backseat.

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