Depending on where you live, winter can be long, depressing, and, let’s face it, cold. When warm weather arrives, many of us can hardly wait to get outside. There are parks to visit, playgrounds to explore, and beaches to comb.
And yet, with all the fun surrounding warm-weather outings, some precautions need to be taken when traveling with a baby.
Before you even place your child in the car, check the car seat, especially any metal buckles or other metal parts. These can get extremely hot during a warm day, especially if they are in the direct sunlight. The last thing you want is to put your baby’s bare legs (of course they’re bare – it’s warm outside!) on a hot piece of metal.
When you arrive at your destination, consider putting a blanket or a car seat cooler over the car seat. This is not totally foolproof, but it can aid in keeping the metal parts of the car seat cool. If at all possible, park in the shade.
Keep in mind that air conditioning may not reach the back seat as well as it reaches the front seats. Make efforts to turn some vents toward the back of the car, or crack the windows in the back seat. Give your child frequent drinks of water, both before and after the car trip.
Finally, always check the car seat before you leave the car, whether you think you brought your child with you or not. If someone who does not normally transport the child is driving her somewhere, call around the time they should have arrived at their destination to remind them that the child is in the back seat of the car. Many infants have died as the result of responsible adults simply forgetting they were in the car.
Sadly, this weekend in Arkansas, a child lost her life due to this exact situation. A man was on his way to drop his 14-month-old daughter off at daycare, but forgot she was with him. Instead of leaving her in the safety of an air-conditioned facility, he left her in a locked car, with the windows up, as temperatures reached 99 degrees. The child did not survive.
So, as you get out and enjoy the beautiful weather, take my advice, and do some simple things to keep your child safe: check the temperature of the car seat, be mindful of the temperature in the back seat, give frequent drinks, and always check for your child, regardless of whether you think she is with you or not.