Two small children have died this week after being left in cars for hours in the UAE, local media there reports.

In the first incident, which took place last Saturday, a two-year-old Emirati boy was found dead after being accidentally left in the car for more than four hours in 42C heat.

And yesterday, five-year-old Emirati girl died after being forgotten in the car for two hours in Umm Al Quwain, the National reports.

The two cases are the latest examples of “forgotten baby syndrome,” a phrase coined in the US, where instances are on the rise due in part to more hectic schedules and absent-mindedness.

But it is a problem that has also been getting more attention in the Gulf in recent years, as more parents or caretakers accidentally leave children behind in their vehicles, with fatal consequences.

In Qatar, for example, a four-year-old Indian expat died in May 2010 after falling asleep and being accidentally locked in a minivan that was supposed to take her to school that morning.

As car interiors heat up within a matter of minutes during these summer months, parents are advised to take care to remember their children when exiting the car.

See tips on how to avoid “fatal distraction” here.

Thoughts?

Photo by Steve and Sara Emry