- Heatstroke, also known as hyperthermia, is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children.
- It occurs when the body can’t cool itself quickly enough and the body temperature rises to dangerous levels.
- In relation to cars, it happens when a person, or animal, is left alone in a car and as the car warms up, so too does the person or animal inside.
- Young children are particularly at risk, since their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s body.
- When a child’s internal temperature gets to 104 degrees, major organs begin to shut down. And when that child’s temperature reaches 107 degrees, the child can die.
- Because of this, and because cars heat up so quickly – 19 degrees in 10 minutes – tragedies can happen faster than you think.
- Symptoms can quickly progress from flushed, dry skin and vomiting to seizures, organ failure and death.
A website from UGA Cooperative Extension
Local News for 4-H, Agriculture, and Family and Consumer Science