Baby forgotten in parked car dies in Belgium

A baby died after being forgotten in a car in a hospital parking lot in southern Belgium, local media reported on Thursday.

The 6-month-old passed away on Wednesday after the mother, an employee of a hospital in Gilly, accidentally left the infant in her car, according to Belgian daily La Libre Belgique.

The mother was supposed to drop the child off at a nursery but forgot to do so and instead went directly to work.

The baby spent several hours trapped in the car in the sun.

A security guard discovered the child at 5.30 pm (1530GMT) local time but the infant was beyond saving.

An autopsy will be done to find out the exact cause of the baby's death.

With only 14 weeks of paid leave, Belgium is one of the EU countries that offers the least maternity support for working mothers.

According to studies in the U.S., where 38 similar tragedies happen annually on average, it is not carelessness that makes parents forget their child in a car but a temporary lapse in memory due to extreme fatigue.