During these hot summer days those who have children must be vigilant in preventing heat-related illness, even when running a short errand.

Guthrie County Public Health Director Jotham Arber says people should never leave infants or children in a parked vehicle when it’s hot outside, even if the windows are open. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that even with a window cracked open, temperatures can rise almost 20 degrees within 10 minutes. Arber gives advice for how to remember your backseat passengers, “Leaving things like a briefcase or your laptop or something that you really need to take with you in the backseat with the kiddo helps you remember because you always remember those types of things. Another creative thing that one of our nurses developed was having parents put plush toys into car seats so that when you put the child in the car seat you take the plush doll and you put it up front as a reminder, because you’re going to take that plush doll and put it back in the car seat when the child is out of your vehicle.”

Arber says another tip could be calling and checking up with your fellow parent to make sure a trip went okay. Other ways to prevent heat-related illness is to dress your children in loose, lightweight, and light-colored clothing, and to make sure they’re drinking plenty of fluids.