The Brain Science Behind Forgetting Kids in Hot Cars
You might think it happens only to bad parents. But anyone can fall prey to the brain glitch that causes these horrific accidents.
This article is part of a Wise & Well Special Report: Extreme Heat and Human Health.
Each case is different. But there’s always that awful moment when the parent realizes what they’ve done. There’s a desperate sprint to the car. A nightmarish discovery. A gut-wrenching call to 911.
Each incident has its own painful backstory. In Florida this past month, an 11-month-old baby died in a scorching van, after her mother rushed off to officiate church services. In New York City, a VA Hospital employee worked his full eight-hour shift before returning to his car to find his twin daughter and son dead. In several similar cases, a parent drove from their office to pick up their child at daycare — only to later check the backseat and find their child there, passed away.
In the past 25 years, nearly 1,000 children have died after being left in hot cars. It happens somewhere in the United States an average of 38 times per year.
The stories shake us to the core. They defy our understanding. What was the mom or dad thinking? How in the world could loving…
