Another baby left in a car dies.

[Anonymous]

Is there no device or alarm system that can help with this?

[Anonymous]

The woman from Alexandria was charged with felony neglect. The man in Baltimore was not. Granted we don't know all the details in the VA case (not that it's any of our business), but it's shameful that she is being charged for what police found to be an unintentional death. The Patch plastered her photo everywhere this morning. Also shameful. Sadly, this could happen to anyone.

[Anonymous]

Did you see her eyes? It's like there's no life inside that body. Poor woman.

[Anonymous]

i only quickly read the story about the 16 mo but thought it was very odd. The story I read said the child was found in the car which was parked next to *a* daycare. Was it the childs daycare? Also, they say the relative Walked back home where they fell asleep and when woke up realized their mistake and went back but it was too late.

both situations are very sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The woman from Alexandria was charged with felony neglect. The man in Baltimore was not. Granted we don't know all the details in the VA case (not that it's any of our business), but it's shameful that she is being charged for what police found to be an unintentional death. The Patch plastered her photo everywhere this morning. Also shameful. Sadly, this could happen to anyone.

The difference is that the Alexandria case is covered by VA law and the Baltimore case is covered by MD law. VA tends to prosecute these cases.

[Anonymous]

There isn't a device or alarm that solves this problem. And I even read one story about a dad that couldn't figure out why his car alarm kept going off, and he kept disarming it with the remote through his office window...without ever realizing it was his child inside that was triggering the alarm, until it was too late.

The problem is that everyone thinks that it could never happen to them.

The best we can do it text your spouse every day after drop off, and expect a text when your spouse drops off. Keep your diaper bag in the front seat and your purse in the back, to remind you that the baby is in the back. And on your way into work or the mall or the metro, peek into cars in the parking lot as you walk by.

[Anonymous]

Devices HAVE been designed that can warn of this situation - I've heard of a variety of concepts, but usually they are based on a weight sensor in the car seat combined with some other monitoring of car conditions, plus an alerting system. However, the devices haven't become common because very few people want to buy one - because of the perception that only a neglectful parent could need one. (I don't agree with this, but it's common.) And car dealers/car seat makers aren't going to build these in to their products for the same reason - no one wants to pay extra for something they believe they couldn't possibly need and/or will reflect badly on them. The only way I could see these devices becoming common is if they were mandated, but I doubt that will happen. They would add a not insubstantial cost to each seat, and could actually result in MORE deaths due to parents not buying a seat / re-using very old seats because of the cost of new seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Devices HAVE been designed that can warn of this situation - I've heard of a variety of concepts, but usually they are based on a weight sensor in the car seat combined with some other monitoring of car conditions, plus an alerting system. However, the devices haven't become common because very few people want to buy one - because of the perception that only a neglectful parent could need one. (I don't agree with this, but it's common.) And car dealers/car seat makers aren't going to build these in to their products for the same reason - no one wants to pay extra for something they believe they couldn't possibly need and/or will reflect badly on them. The only way I could see these devices becoming common is if they were mandated, but I doubt that will happen. They would add a not insubstantial cost to each seat, and could actually result in MORE deaths due to parents not buying a seat / re-using very old seats because of the cost of new seats.

Interesting. A handful of child deaths led to us all having to get new cribs. Some people still use drop-sides, but eventually they well be completely phased out. Maybe this will be the new child-protection issue.

I also worry about this, for myself and DH. I cannot imagine what the state of Virginia could do to me that would be punishment more than the guilt and grief and horror I would feel every for the rest of my life.

[Anonymous]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57483599-10391704/govt-study-devices-that-alert-parents-they-left-a-child-in-car-deemed-unreliable/

[Anonymous]

I'm still haunted by this possibility, and I still check my backseat when I lock the car. My boy is now six. I just ache when I think of those poor parents, and thinking about the kids themselves is unbearable.

[Anonymous]

This is just sad. This article says 33 - 49 babies a year die in this way.

Even engineers from NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia tried their hand with a product called Child Presence Sensor, which was developed after a fellow staffer's child died of heatstroke in the center's parking lot.

The keychain product was first touted in 2002, but parents still can't buy it or have it installed on a new car. Fennell says that while the product works, the inventors could not find a commercial partner to make it widely available.

http://www.goerie.com/article/20120803/BUSINESS05/308039969/Tech-fix-to-prevent-deaths-of-kids-left-in-cars-a-frustrating-challenge

[Anonymous]

I can't help wondering why day cares don't call the parents when the child doesn't show up. Yes, it's the parent's responsibility not to forget the child in the car, but it seems like the day care should also notice the child is missing. Or am I just spoiled by my in-home day care provider - she calls if I'm even 20 minutes late...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't help wondering why day cares don't call the parents when the child doesn't show up. Yes, it's the parent's responsibility not to forget the child in the car, but it seems like the day care should also notice the child is missing. Or am I just spoiled by my in-home day care provider - she calls if I'm even 20 minutes late...

Our former daycare (out of this area) was a center and they also called if we didn't show up by 9:00. I could never figure out if it was because they wanted to adjust ratios for the day with their "floater" or if they were afraid you were in a car crash. But maybe it was (also?) for this reason. I wish they did it here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i only quickly read the story about the 16 mo but thought it was very odd. The story I read said the child was found in the car which was parked next to *a* daycare. Was it the childs daycare? Also, they say the relative Walked back home where they fell asleep and when woke up realized their mistake and went back but it was too late.

both situations are very sad.

He went to the daycare to pick the child up, only to realize that she wasn't there. When he came back, she was dead.

It's horrible. I can't imagine how these families are feeling!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't help wondering why day cares don't call the parents when the child doesn't show up. Yes, it's the parent's responsibility not to forget the child in the car, but it seems like the day care should also notice the child is missing. Or am I just spoiled by my in-home day care provider - she calls if I'm even 20 minutes late...

Our former daycare (out of this area) was a center and they also called if we didn't show up by 9:00. I could never figure out if it was because they wanted to adjust ratios for the day with their "floater" or if they were afraid you were in a car crash. But maybe it was (also?) for this reason. I wish they did it here.

Our daycare doesn't, but we always let them know if our DD will be absent. I really wish they did though. That would take a lot of worry out of the equation!