A 10-month-old baby remains in critical condition after being left in a hot car Tuesday for nearly two hours at a local restaurant on La. 26 where the mother was working.

The baby was rushed to Ochsner American Legion Hospital in serious condition Tuesday after the child was discovered in the back seat of the vehicle by its mother, according to Police Chief Danny Semmes.

“The mother indicated to us that she was supposed to drop the baby off at a babysitter and she said she just forgot because she was in a hurry to get to work, they needed her for a couple of hours,” Semmes said.

The baby was found about two hours later when the mother went to leave work, he said. The mother immediately drove the baby to the hospital where medical staff performed life-saving medical treatment. The baby was later transported to an out-of-town hospital where it remained in critical condition on Wednesday.

Temperatures and the heat index during the time the baby was left in the car are believed to have been well over 105, Semmes said.

No charges have been filed as the investigation is still in the very early stages, Semmes said.

The mother’s and baby’s names are not being released at this time.

Semmes reminds drivers transporting children to always check the back seat before getting out of the vehicle.

“You just have to be diligent and always be focused on your children, everything else comes second,” Semmes said.  “I have a sensor in my vehicle that alerts me whenever I get out to check the back seat. Not everybody can have that but it needs to be a common practice just like putting your seatbelt on. If you have kids, check the back seats to see whether the kids are there or not. It just takes a second.”

Most people don’t forget their cell phones, so why should they forget their children, he said.