A mother was arrested after she allegedly punched her own child and left the baby in the car to go work.
A North Carolina mother is facing charges after authorities say she left her 6-week-old baby in a cold car and assaulted the infant.
Police reported that the temperature at the time was around 40 degrees.
The incident occurred in the parking lot of a McDonald’s in downtown Raleigh, where police say 21-year-old Nokia Jones left her baby unrestrained in the backseat of a non-running vehicle while she began her work shift.
Jones was charged on November 20.
Dr. Ryan Lamb, Medical Director and Chair of Emergency Medicine at UNC Rex Holly Springs, explained the risks of hypothermia for infants in such conditions.
“Mild hypothermia you’re going to start to see increased heart rate,” said Dr. Lamb. “They cannot regulate their temperature as well. And they also have a lot more body surface area.”
Dr. Lamb added that infants are particularly vulnerable due to their inability to warm themselves or add layers of clothing. “Infants, how big their heads are relatively to their body. Right? So there’s a lot of energy that’s gonna get lost there unless they’re bundled and have a hat on,” he said.
Raleigh police have not disclosed how long the baby was left in the car or her current condition.
However, warrants indicate the baby had bruising to both eyes, swelling, and a scratch on the face from being struck.
