NEW: Safety Tips on Heat Stroke Awareness Day
Friday, May 25, 2012
Unfortunately, one child dies nearly every 10 days from being left in a hot vehicle, according to research by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT). To remedy this, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has declared today Heat Stoke Awareness Day in hopes of making parents wary of potential dangers.
While it may seem fine to leave your child in the car while running into the bank, or somewhere else for a quick errand, Dr. Marc Restuccia of UMass Memorial Medical Center says parents should resist this urge in all cases.
“This is a very important thing for parents to remember,” Dr. Restuccia said. “Never, ever, leave your child in a car. As the temperature gets warmer this becomes more of a problem.”
While Dr. Restuccia says the problem gets worse as the temperature goes up, he cautions parents that a cool day does not put them in the clear.
“People think that only on really hot days that it’s something to worry about,” Dr. Restuccia said. “But kids have been known to have heat stroke in temperatures as low as 50 degrees. So don’t think (if you are) leaving the windows down, or leaving the air conditioning on while you run in and do an errand, that it’s safe to leave your child. Always take the child with you.”
For more information on heat stroke and prevention, click here.
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