Check the Backseat: Backseat Buddy™ Bear Rides Along for Safety in Texas Heat

Program at Baylor Irving Aims to Save Lives of Your Littlest Passengers

Cuddly little bears make sweet gifts, but they also serve as lifesavers, reminding caregivers to always take a baby or toddler out of the car's backseat. Forty-four children died of heatstroke in the United States in 2013, according to San Francisco State University's Department of Earth & Climate Sciences. Typically, when the heat gets above 85 degrees, and the heat index rises, little ones face life-threatening medical issues if left untended in a car.

To help parents and other caregivers remember to always check the backseat, Baylor Medical Center at Irving developed the "Backseat BuddyTM" bear program. Last year, the hospital gave approximately 2,000 of the cuddly bears to the parents of newborns. The Backseat BuddyTM clips to the car keys in the ignition. Once drivers turn off their cars and get out, they place the bear in the car seat and take the baby out to go inside. When the parent returns, the baby or toddler goes back into the car seat and the bear clips back to the car keys. The bear is a visual reminder of the child in the car's backseat.

"Heat stroke occurs when a person's temperature exceeds 105 degrees F (and is) associated with neurological impairments. The body is not able to cope with the excessive heat," says Dr. Charles Su, emergency department medical director, Baylor Medical Center at Irving. A child's body temperature can warm at a rate three to five times faster than an adult's.

Normally, people cool down by sweating, but in extreme heat the body can lose its ability to regulate temperature. The sweating function fails and body temperature rises rapidly, resulting in heat stroke, which is the most severe form of heat illness and is a life-threatening emergency.

Other Tips to Help Parents Remember Young Backseat Passengers:

  • Place in the back seat, a briefcase, purse or cell phone that will be needed at the next stop as a reminder to check the back seat before going into house or office.
  • Create an electronic reminder on your calendar to make sure children were dropped off at daycare.
  • Teach children that cars are not a place to play. They may become accidently locked in a hot car.

About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com