Denise Collado
Social Psychology 200
Dr. J. Pinkney Pastor
10/7/14

Research Summary # 2
In the articles Threat of paediatric hyperthermia in an enclosed vehicle: a year-round study by Sarah V Duzinski, Amanda N Barczyk, Tareka C Wheeler, Suijit S Lyer, and Karla A Lawon. They write an observational study that was done on vehicular temperature. They wanted to measure the temperature to test for danger levels in extreme hot and cold weathers, which could result in Children and Infants to face a hyperthermia and death during these dangerous weather conditions
The purpose of the study was to describe temperature change throughout the year in an enclosed vehicle in Austin, Texas during when they accounted heat. In many cases in the recent years an increase of children death due to hyperthermia and being unattended in an enclosed vehicle. In the article, it mentions “In the USA, 384 children died to hyperthermia, between 2003-2012 while unattended in an enclosed vehicle.” This usually happens more during the warmest months. This is extremely preventable but it happening far too often. While some parents think it is safe to leave a child in a car during the summer whether you are attending or unattended the child. It is extremely dangerous to leave a child in a car for a long period of time. A child or infant have a higher risk of hyperthermia because they can’t regulate their temperatures as well as adults. When the temperature is extremely high naturally the body becomes delirium, convulsion, coma and death. In most cases, when the child is left unattended they are an infant that is belted into a car seat. They basically have a hard time or are unable to remove any clothing, open a window or move from the sun. Which increases the possible risk of death.
In the research they mention how the factors that causes the hypothermia to occur is the impact of high temperatures. As well the angle of where the sun directing into the vehicles, air temperature, where is cloudy or in the shade could also impact the temperature in a vehicles. If a vehicle is enclosed it’s a lot more dangerous, because increases the humidity in the car. It will cause the child to sweat and have a hard time with their respiration. In 2003 there were about 120 cases that ambient temperatures during 80-89F and the lowest recorded temperature in a car was when the vehicle was 57. If it is extremely hot outside, the temperature in a vehicle could increase higher than the temperature outside the vehicle.

The methods of the observational study was that temperatures inside a closed vehicle in a one day per month during January- December in 2012, Austin, Texas. They measured different facts such a primarily cloud-free, ambient 20F on a high temperature day. They used a collective data from Camp Mabry weather station to help determine the weather on the days they selected. They chose to use NWS heat/health watch warming to help them with the study and to get a better understanding of the hazardless weather. The guidance indicted that 80-