Vehicular heat stroke is considered as one of the preventable causes of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths among children. The prevalence of parents and caregivers leaving children unattended in enclosed vehicles is non-negligible.

A new study published in the International Journal of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine assessed parents knowledge and beliefs about vehicular heat strokes among children, in addition to the prevalence and associated factors of leaving children inside locked cars.

This was across-sectional study, carried out at King Abdullah Specialist Childrens Hospital in Riyadh, wherein 209 parents completed a self-administered questionnaire addressing vehicular heat strokes.

The results revealed that among the participants, 24.88% had left at least one of their children unattended inside their locked cars during a sunny day; meanwhile, 78.85% of parents have heard about accidental deaths secondary to leaving children in locked vehicles. When assessing parental knowledge of increased sensitivity to heat in infants/children – 81.34% knew the correct information. Older age, lower paternal education and increased number of children were associated with increased incidences of leaving children unattended in enclosed cars.

It was concluded that considering the high temperatures in the Gulf region, the prevalence of vehicular heat stroke secondary to locking children inside vehicles is nontrivial. Awareness programs for parents and caregivers are strongly encouraged.

Source: International Journal of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2020 Jun;7(2):93-97.doi: 10.1016/j.ijpam.2019.11.004.