1-year-old North Carolina boy dies in hot car, police say; 37th death nationally in 2019

A 1-year-old boy died Thursday after being left in a hot car parked at a North Carolina shopping center, police told local media outlets.

The boy's mother works at the center in Pineville, police told WSOC-TV, and realized he was in the car as she finished her shift.

This is the 37th case of a child dying of heat exhaustion in ovenlike cars nationally this year, according to KidsAndCars.org, which tracks vehicular heatstroke deaths. The case brings the toll to one short of the annual average.

Police found the boy in his car seat around 5 p.m., WCCB-TV reported, after receiving a 911 call. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. It is unclear how long the baby was inside the car, police said, and the mother is cooperating in the ongoing investigation.

'I wanted to kill myself': There's science behind why parents leave kids in hot cars

While an average of 38 children die while trapped in hot vehicles every year, advocates recorded a record last year, when 53 children died nationwide, according to KidsandCars.org.

Children have difficultly escaping a hot car on their own, and their respiratory and circulatory systems can't handle heat as well as adults.

Direct sunlight heats objects inside cars, so temperatures inside cars can soar as high as 130 degrees, even when external temperatures are much lower. The body's natural cooling methods, such as sweating, begin to shut down once the body's core temperature reaches around 104 degrees. Death can occur at 107 degrees.

Fatal facts: Hot cars can hit deadly, oven-like temperatures in as little as one hour

To prevent hot car deaths, KidsAndCars.org recommends always opening the back door when parked, placing an essential item in the back seat with a child and asking a care provider to call if a child doesn't get dropped off on time. Parents can also keep cars locked at all times, teach children to honk a horn and never leave keys within a child's reach.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ran an awareness campaign for hot car deaths last week, asking bystanders to immediately call 911 upon seeing a child alone in a locked car. After removing a distressed child from a hot car as quickly as possible, the agency recommends cooling them rapidly.

Contributing: Doyle Rice and Morgan Hines, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hot car death of 1-year-old North Carolina child is 37th nationally