Edmonton pediatrician warns parents about leaving kids in hot cars

Children left inside hot cars overheat much faster than adults because they can't regulate their body temperatures as well, says an emergency pediatrician at the Stollery Children's Hospital.

A child will heat up three to five times faster than an adult, said Dr. Andrew Dixon, who is also an associate professor in the University of Alberta's department of pediatrics.

Part of the reason is that their sweat functions aren't as developed, Dixon said in an interview.

As well, he said, "Body surface area is bigger than an adult's by comparison to their insides, so they're more at risk to environmental stress cold and heat."

Dixon spoke to CBC Friday as Edmonton police issued their own warning to parents not to leave their children unattended in vehicles.

A 22-year-old woman has been chargedwith causing a child to be in need of intervention after leaving her eight-month-old daughter alone in a car in northeast Edmonton on Thursday evening.

The temperature at the time was about 26 degrees. The infant, who had been left alone for 10 minutes, was assessed at the Stollery and found to be unharmed.

This weekend is expected to be a scorcher for Edmonton and central and southern Alberta with temperatures forecast to reach 30 C.

It's an appropriate time to remind parents about the dangers of leaving children alone in vehicles, Dixonsaid.

"There's no time people should leave children in a vehicle. Cars heat up quickly in warm weather. "

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It only takes 15 minutes for a vehicle, previously air-conditioned, to heat up to 50 C, he said. Vehicles can reach 60 to 70 degrees in over 30 minutes, he added.

"You just have to think how hot your car seems when you've left it out in the hot sun for an hour."

Dixon said Stollery staff get one or two cases a month of children in distress after being left in hot vehicles.

It can happen to anyone

In more than 50 per cent of serious cases, the parents or guardians didn'trealize they were leaving the children in the car.

"It usually happens at a time when routine has changed," Dixon said.

"For instance, mom usually takes the kids to drop them off at daycare but dad was taking them today and they got busy, and they went to work, went on auto pilot and forgot that there was a child in the car."

Every time parents get out of their vehicles they should check the back seat to make sure they haven't left a child inside, he recommended.

Leaving the windows open slightly has "very little impact" on keeping the vehicle cool, he said.

Dixon said if you find a child overheated and unresponsive, call 911 and get the child into shade. You can try "exterior cooling" by soaking their clothes in water and putting them in a cooler area or shade.

Best approach is to call 911

Edmonton police said anyone who notices a child left inside a locked vehicle should not try to break a window to get in.

The child and the rescuer could be injured by flying glass, and the rescuer could be put in danger when the parent returns,saidSgt.LaelSauterwith the Child at Risk Response Team.

Instead, the bystander should call 911, notingthe vehicle's licence plate and description, and remain on scene until first responders arrive, Sauter said.

"It's better to call 911 because then you'll activate the services to come right away," he said.

"If you act on your own without calling 911 the circumstance could actually get out of hand should that driver return back to the vehicle."