A Raleigh mother is accused of punching her infant in the face and leaving the baby alone in a car in 40-degree weather while she worked.

Nikita Jones, 21, is charged with one count of misdemeanor child abuse and one count of intentional child abuse resulting in serious physical injury.

Jones left her 6-week-old baby unrestrained in the backseat of a car in downtown Raleigh while she was working at McDonald's on E. South Street, according to warrants. The car was not running, and temperatures at the time were recorded as low as 40 degrees.

According to warrants, Jones is also accused of striking the 6-week-old in the face a day earlier, causing bruising to both eyes, swelling and a scratch to the face.

The reported incidents occurred on Nov. 20 and Nov. 21. Jones was taken into custody Monday after the Raleigh Police Department issued two warrants for her arrest and was jailed on a $35,000 bond.

WRAL News is working to learn the condition of the child.

It is not known how long the baby was in the car, but experts say in extremely cold temperatures it takes only a matter of minutes on an adult for hypothermia to set in.

Dr. Ryan Lamb, medical director and chair of emergency medicine at UNC Rex Holly Springs, said on a 40-degree day it would take hours for a car's interior to temperatures that could lead to hypothermia; however, infants are more at risk.

"An appropriately dressed person in 40 degrees has hours," Lamb explained, however, "Infants cannot regulate their temperature as well, and they have more body surface area compared to their body mass -- there is more to keep warm."

Blankets, hats, socks and the sun can all play a role in how warm someone stays in the cold, but hypothermia would set in faster if someone was wet -- including if an infant had a wet diaper.

"Anything wet will dramatically change," Lamb said. "If you are dry and have proper clothing on it will take a long time."

Signs of mild hypothermia include an increased heart rate, an increased respiratory rate and shaking. As hypothermia progresses, the heart rate and blood pressure will lower, and the body will eventually shut down.

Leaving children in cars in extreme temperatures -- both hot and cold -- is dangerous. This week, the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons also warned parents that children left unattended in cars event for a moment could be kidnapped.

"Activities like stopping to pick up food, making a quick purchase at a gas station, or dropping off another child may seem harmless, but these brief moments can create opportunities for tragedy. Vehicle thieves act quickly and impulsively, targeting running vehicles regardless of what, or who, is inside."