THE heatwave that has hit some states in the American midwest claimed at least two young lives last week.
Two children died after they were left in cars by their parents in searing daytime heat.
In St Louis, Missouri, a 7-month-old baby girl, Sophia Knutsen, was found dead in a parked car at the Washington University School of Medicine, the police said.
The child's father, Mr Russell Knutsen, a research analyst at the school, was reportedly the last one to have the child last Thursday.
He said there was a 'devastating mix-up' as to who was going to take the child to daycare.
His wife, Dr Beth Ann Kozel, is a paediatrician at a children's hospital.
The police said that Dr Kozel had left Sophia in the car for Mr Knutsen to drop off at day care, but Mr Knutsen thought his wife had already done that.
He reportedly did not know that Sophia was in the car.
The infant was spotted by passers-by at about 12.30pm.
They used a rock to break a car window and tried to revive her, but were unsuccessful.
She was pronounced dead at St Louis Children's Hospital, where her mother works.
She could have left in the car for more than three hours, said the police.
Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to charge the couple.
SUV DEATH
Hours later, a 2-year-old girl was found dead in her mother's car in a school in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Cecilia Slaby had reportedly been left in the parked Mercedes-Benz SUV for eight hours at Glen Este Middle School.
The windows were up and the temperature that day was about 36.5 deg C.
The girl's mother, Ms Brenda Nesselroad-Slaby, 40, is an assistant principal of the school.
She reported to work before 7.15am that day and 'was engaged in school work all day', according to authorities.
Cecilia was spotted by a passer-by at 3.14pm, reported the Cincinnati Post.
The caller told the 911 emergency dispatcher: "Oh, my God! Someone said she's been in the hot car all day. She's not breathing."
Teachers and then emergency workers administered CPR, but were unable to revive the child.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the coroner's office, the child died of extreme heat stroke.
The police did not release any details on how the child had been left in the car.
It is not known yet whether anyone will be prosecuted.
She is the 23rd child to die this summer in the US after being left in a hotcar.
The temperature in the car could have exceeded 60 deg C, said an expert.