Save the Children!

With the weather (hopefully) getting warmer and people getting busier, a very alarming topic comes up. Should it be legal that parents are allowed to leave their children in the car? Most people know that it is a pain to haul children in and out of stores for a small amount of time, especially if it is a newborn that we're talking about. Does that mean that it should be okay for a parent to leave their child in the car alone for that "short" time that they need to run the errand? I do not think so. Since 1990, there have been more than six hundred child deaths because of hypothermia. This should be alarming to people! Those are 600 deaths that could have very easily been prevented if only the child would have cooled down. Some people don't think about how a child's body reacts differently to heat rather than an adult's. A child's body is more sensitive to heat. A child can die from heat stroke on a 72 degree day. A 72 degree day would seem cool for an adult, but dangerous for your little ones. One reason why it could be dangerous is because a child's body can heat up five times faster than your average adult's. If you leave a child in a hot car for just a small amount of time, it is quite likely for hyperthermia to set in. There are several stories about deaths of children from hyperthermia. In one care, a 4 month old passed away because it was 113 degrees outside and the car did not have air conditioning. In another, a 3 year old died of hyperthermia because the family was returning home from church and forgot the child in the van.

On the other hand, I can understand why some parents decide to leave their children in the car for a short amount of time. If a parent is at the gas station and needs to run inside to get a gallon of milk, they aren't going to want to haul in their child and have to deal with their whining, crying, and maybe just carrying the car seat in and out. I think, however, that this is one of the responsibilities that you receive once you have a child. The parents are responsible for that baby's life, no matter what. I think they should want to make sure the baby is safe and secure at all times and not even think about whether or not they should leave the baby in the car.

If the child we are talking about is a little bit older, it becomes more understandable. If a ten year old is left in the car at the gas station while you grab a gallon of milk, most parents will think that is okay. A lot of kids by that age know that they should lock the car once the parent leaves so they will stay safe. I am pretty sure most parents have done this...I know mine have. The age of the child is very dependent on the time they are left alone in the car. I find it unacceptable for an infant to be left in the car alone at any time. We are talking about a baby that is less than a year old. In this society, no one should be trusted. Everyone should be seen as someone that will harm your baby, so you should want to keep that baby hooked to your side.

All in all, I don't think it should be legal for a child to be left in the car alone. I think that it is severely dangerous and shouldn't even be a debatable topic.




Works Cited:
www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-guide/kids-in-and-around-cars/29-deaths-so-far-in-2012.html
www.webmd.com/parenting/features/hot-cars-and-child-death-prevention
www.community.nsw.gov.au
www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-guide/kids-in-and-around-cars/never-leave-your-child-alone.html
stmichael.patch.com/articles/parent-talk-is-it-ever-ok-to-leave-your-kids-in-the-car