Hamad Medical Corporation Issues a Warning About Leaving Kids in Cars in Hot Weather

Hamad Injury Prevention Program (HIPP) at Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) Hamad Trauma Center, a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Trauma, is raising urgent public awareness about the life-threatening dangers of leaving children or vulnerable individuals inside parked vehicles even for just a few minutes.

Coordinator of Hamad Injury Prevention Program, Tsoler Sekayan explained that temperature inside a parked car can climb rapidly, even much higher than the outside temperature, even on a moderately warm day, a vehicle's interior can reach dangerous temperatures within minutes. This creates an extreme risk of heatstroke, high fever, dehydration, seizures, or even death, especially for young children. Sekayan stressed that young children, under the age of 5, are particularly at risk because their bodies absorb heat more quickly than adults, adding that many of these incidents happen when children are unintentionally forgotten, or when they fall asleep.

She pointed out that this happens especially when routines change or during stress. Children with special needs may also struggle to recognize or communicate danger, making them more vulnerable in these situations.

HIPP shares the following basic recommendations to prevent this from happening, most notable of which include: Always accounting for all children when exiting the car. Before locking the vehicle, double-check that all passengers, especially young children, have exited. Searching the vehicle if a child is missing. If a child goes missing, immediately check inside the vehicle, including the trunk. Children may enter the car unnoticed and become trapped.

The program also recommends using clear and obvious visual reminders to avoid forgetting a child in the car. Place an essential item such as a phone, wallet, or handbag on the back seat near the child, and keep cars locked and keys out of reach. Always locking vehicles, even when parked at home, and store keys and remote entry devices out of reach. This prevents children from entering or starting the car unsupervised, besides using child safety locks and educating children with in-vehicle safety guidelines.

HMC stressed the importance of taking immediate action upon noticing any heat related illness symptoms such sweating, dehydration, confusion, they should be moved to cooler area immediately and call 999 for guidance.