Overheating likely killed
infant forgotten in car
Ten-month-old Anuhea Paet most likely died from overheating after being left in a parked car at midday Monday at the YMCA Windward Branch, according to the Honolulu medical examiner.
Tips for keeping children safe around cars:
>> Never leave children unattended.
>> Put your purse or cell phone in the back seat to remind you that your child is there.
>> Place a child's item, such as the diaper bag, in the front seat to remind you of the baby in back.
>> Make sure no one is in your car before you lock it.
>> Always lock your car and trunk, even at home.
>> Teach children not to play in and around cars.
>> Be wary of child-resistant locks, and teach older children to disable the driver's lock in case they get trapped.
>> Keep the car's interior cool with shades, and check the buckle of a car seat before it touches a toddler's skin.
Source: State Department of Health Injury Prevention Program
Police are still investigating, but said the child's mother told them she had forgotten to drop the baby at the sitter Monday morning and didn't realize the infant was in the back of the car.
Anuhea's mother, Susanna Hunt, found her child dead in the car after working from noon to 1 p.m. as a physical therapist at the YMCA pool, according to Roz Hamby, YMCA group vice president. Hunt is an employee of Fukuji & Lum Physical Therapy Associates of Kaneohe, which has an agreement to use the pool, Hamby said.
Dr. Kanthi Von Guenthner, chief medical examiner, said she handled a similar case in the late 1990s in which a toddler died of hyperthermia after his father, who was in the military, left him in a parked car for a few hours.
"The father forgot to take the baby to the sitter," she said. "Parents need to know that these things can happen. A child can be overlooked and there are serious medical consequences. The temperature in a car can rise very quickly."
"Exposure to high heat is a most probable cause here, although we haven't confirmed it yet," she said.
Therese Argoud, childhood injury prevention coordinator for the state Department of Health, said children are especially susceptible to heat stroke because their core body temperature rises three to five times faster than that of adults. It can occur within minutes, she said.
"The No. 1 tip is to never leave your child in an unattended car, even with the windows down," she said. "There are so many things that could happen. The car could be improperly parked and roll out of the driveway. Kids shouldn't be around cars by themselves. We need to raise awareness of the potential hazards."
From 1996 to 2000, 160 children nationwide died from heat stroke after being trapped in a car, she said. Some parents don't realize the dangers, and others leave their kids by mistake.
"Parents can get distracted, they're on such busy schedules," she said. "It's hard to fathom for so many of us but it does in fact happen. We need to give them information and assistance to prevent it."
Hamby said Hunt had not brought her child with her to work before, and her colleagues weren't sure what had happened. Hunt did not return a call to her home.
"We are just so sad," Hamby said. "The entire staff here is in a state of shock. Even though she's not an employee, she's part of our family. Families and children are our mission, and building strong communities. We want them to know that our hearts go out to them and we want to help in any way we can."
