A young mum has been charged after leaving her baby in a sweltering car for more than an hour in Western Australia on the weekend.
Manjimup Police tweeted that the baby was left in a “hot car in the full sun for over an hour.”
The 16-month-old was rescued from the vehicle on Saturday afternoon before being rushed to Bridgetown Hospital and treated for heatstroke.
The temperature at that time was around 38.5 degrees.
The mother has been charged with leaving a child unsupervised in a vehicle and will appear in court on February 4.
Experts have taken the opportunity to warn parents that leaving children in cars could prove fatal.
The Kidsafe website states that young children are more at risk than adults.
A lady is being charged for leaving her child in a hot car in the full sun for over an hour. Thanks to those that called Police. #Lifesavers
— Manjimup Police (@ManjimupPol) January 10, 2016
"The temperature inside the car begins to rise, as does the humidity while the airflow decreases. As the temperature rises, the child begins to dehydrate and develop heat exhaustion."
As we approach midsummer, it's an important reminder for all of us to never leave kids unattended in vehicles.
