TYLER (KYTX) - It's important information for parents as temperatures begin to heat up. CBS 19's Amanda Roberson reports on this safety alert.
Jennifer and her son are enjoying a sunny day in the park - but she knows that this time of year, she has added responsibilities.
"Whether it's sunscreen, or an extra hat, or whatever for summer, and making sure that you look before you leave and then just make sure the car is always running until the last minute before you get him out."
Trinity Mother Frances chief of trauma Dr. Luis Fernandez says a hot car can be more than uncomfortable for a child. "Children, their brains are still developing and so their oxygen consumption rate is relatively high, they need a lot of energy. In order for them to optimally develop, they need to be within a certain temperature spectrum that supports it and either extreme is a bad thing."
Studies show that when the temperature is 85 degrees outside, the temperature inside a parked car can rises to 90 degrees within 5 minutes, 100 degrees within 10 minutes, and 120 degrees within 30 minutes.
"What the significance of that is, if you leave a child in there unattended in the vehicle, once you hit 107 degrees body temperature, you're going to die because that destroys all the enzyme systems in the cells."
Jennifer says she tries her hardest to make sure her son stays cool - saying it's all part of being a good parent. "Nobody wants anything happening to their child, but we have to be consciencious about what we do with our children: the way we speak in front of them, the way we act, the way we protect them. We have to be on guard at all times."
Texas is one of 15 states in which leaving a child, unattended in a car, is considered a criminal act. If you would like more information on keeping your children safe in the summer heat, click here.
