With Temperatures well above 90-degrees in much of Arkansas and Missouri this week, comes the concern of children being left in cars. Last year, 43 children died of heat stroke after being left in a hot car, including an Arkansas child who was left in a day-care van. This month, Kars for Kids – a car-donation nonprofit – released the results of a survey that found only 16-percent of parents surveyed think they might forget and leave their child in a hot car. Ari Finkelstein with the organization says incidences are higher in our region
Forgotten Baby Syndrome describes the ability for a parent to unintentionally leave a child confined in a car, and scientists say it’s possible because our brains go on “autopilot” with routine activities such as driving to and from work. Numerous smartphone apps are available that create an alert for parents to check their back seat before exiting their car.