Optimal Low-Cost Cooling Strategies for Infant Strollers during Hot Weather.

The current study aimed to identity the optimal low-cost stroller cooling strategies for use in hot and moderately humid summer weather. A commercially available stroller was instrumented to assess the key parameters of the thermal environment. The cooling efficacy of eight different stroller configurations was examined in a counterbalanced order across 16 hot summer days (air temperature (T a ) = 33.3 ± 4.1 °C; relative humidity = 36.7 ± 15%; black globe temperature = 43.9 ± 4.6 °C). Compared with a standard-practice stroller configuration, combining a moist muslin draping with a battery-operated clip-on fan provided optimal in-stroller cooling, reducing the end-trial air temperature by 4.7 °C and the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) by 1.4 °C. In contrast, in-stroller temperatures were substantially increased by draping a dry muslin (T a = +2.6˚C; WBGT = +0.9 °C) or flannelette (T a = +3.7 °C; WBGT = +1.4 °C) cloth over the stroller carriage. These findings provide empirical evidence which may inform guidance aimed at protecting infants during hot weather.