By: Tina Suliman, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs, and Jennifer Martin, Director, BCHD Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response

On average, every 10 days in the United States a child dies from being left in a hot car. Just last week in Baltimore, a 2-year-old girl was left in a hot car, and tragically passed away.

In the vast majority (over 80%) of these cases, the child was accidentally left in the car. In about half of these cases, the parent or caregiver reports that they were sure that the child was not in the car.

We’ve all had those days. We’re busy, our minds are going a mile a minute and we are on autopilot. Sometimes though, we can forget something important. Maybe someone else usually takes the child to daycare or they thought they had brought the child inside. Everyone makes mistakes, but we can all take simple steps to avoid these preventable tragedies.

Everyone can “ACT” to prevent hyperthermia, or heatstroke, caused by leaving young children in hot cars:

• Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. Not only is it unsafe, but it is also illegal in Maryland to leave a child under 8 years old alone in a car. Make sure to also keep your car locked when you’re not in it so kids don’t get in it on their own.

Cars heat up faster than many people think even with the windows cracked. In fact, in just 10 minutes, the temperature in a car can go up by 20 degrees, making heatstroke possible intemperatures as low as 57 degrees. This is very dangerous for young children, whose bodies heat up 3-5 times faster than an adult’s. Heatstroke occurs when the body core temperature reaches 104 degrees.

• Create reminders, especially if you’re not following your normal routine. Caretakers and parents spend a lot of energy and thought childproofing their homes. Childproofing your car is as easy as strategically placing items around your car.

If you have your child with you, try putting something you always use in the back of your car next to your child, such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone. Another option is to put one of your child’s toys next to you on the passenger seat. Positioning the car seat in the middle of the passenger row will also make your child more visible to you. Make “look before you leave” a routine whenever you get out of the car.

• Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations.

Everyone can share the task of keeping children safe and, in this case, saving a life is as easy as following the three simple tips above.

Earlier this week, the Health Department hosted the Mayor, leaders from the Baltimore City Fire Department and Baltimore Police Department, and the Safe Kids Baltimore coalition for a press conference highlighting how to ensure kids are safe during the summer months and July 4th holiday.  Officials discussed the dangers of hot weather, fireworks safety, swimming pool safety, and importance of knowing CPR.