As temperatures rise, so does the risk for heat stroke, especially for children in hot cars.
Every year, dozens of heat-related deaths in vehicles are reported in the United States.
Rising mercury has parents like new mom Lindsey Halbrook on high alert. Halbrook says she’s always on the alert, making sure her daughter is okay.
"Most of the time, I leave the air conditioning running before I ever put her in the car or park the car under shade," says Halbrook.
Even with temperatures in the 80s, for Halbrook’s baby, at just five and a half weeks old, ten minutes in a hot car could be fatal.
With the unofficial start to summer this week, local agencies are teaming up with the national highway traffic safety administration to fight back against hypothermia which, on average, kills about 40 children every year in the US after they are left in an unattended car or truck. That’s about one death every nine days.
Even with the windows in the car cracked, the CDC reports that temperatures can rise almost 20 degrees in the first 10 minutes.
"I get really emotional now because I am a new mom. I mean, she's my number one thing that I think about now," says Halbrook.
It's not just a matter of leaving your kids unattended either. Nationally, up to a third of heatstroke deaths happen when a child playing by himself crawls into the back seat of a hot car.
The CDC recommends drinking plenty of water and non-alcoholic beverages, about 3 glasses an hour, to replenish fluids, salts and minerals. To avoid overheating, avoid heavy meals, wear light clothing, limit sun exposure, schedule outdoor activities for the morning and evenings, and pace yourself.
(Information from CNN was used in this report)
