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Metas de Enfermería

Metas de Enfermería

FEBRERO 2009 N° 1 Volumen 12

Temperature preservation in the newborn admitted into the neonatal unit

Section: Cover story

How to quote

Herrera Gracia C, Lara Rodríguez RM. Conservación de la temperatura en el recién nacido sano al ingreso en la unidad materno-infantil. Metas de Enferm feb 2009; 12(1):27-31

Authors

Cristina Herrera Gracia, Rosa Mª Lara Rodríguez

Position

Diplomadas en Enfermería. Hospital General de Granollers. Unidad de Materno-Infantil.

Contact address

C/ Ángel Guimèra, 7, 1º. 08402 Granollers, Barcelona.

Contact email: fmainar@gmail.com

Abstract

Objectives: to determine the temperature of a cohort of healthy newborns when admitted into the Maternity/Neonatal Unit and to analyze possible risk factors related with temperature preservation in the newborn (birth weight, gestational age, origin, care delivery team shifts and days of the week on which admission and hospitalisation took place).
Material and methods: cross-sectional, descriptive study. 726 healthy newborns were studied out of a total of 1,131 births that took place in the Granollers General Hospital. The primary variable was axillary temperature measured using a digital thermometer; other variables included weight, gestational age, origin, day and time of admission and clothing worn by the newborn. Descriptive statistics indexes were calculated. Variance analysis, Chi-Square test, OR and 95% confidence intervals were performed.
Results: 36,1% (n=262) presented some degree of hypothermia, 8,7% (63 cases) being subacute hypothermia and 0,6% (4 cases) acute hypothermia. Premature newborns presented a higher risk of hypothermia (OR=4,41; 95% CI: 1,52; 12,65;). Newborns weighing less than 2,500 g presented an OR of 8,25 (95% CI:2,74; 24,75) as opposed to those weighing 4,000 g or more. Newborns who had just undergone surgery, as opposed to those coming straight from the delivery room, presented a higher risk of hypothermia (OR=3,20; 95% CI:2,23; 4,60).
Conclusions: our results show a high frequency of healthy newborns presenting hypothermia when admitted into the Mother/Baby Unit. Variables significantly associated with hypothermia are newborn surgery, prematurity and low weight. In order to reach the objectives of temperature preservation in healthy newborns in our centre entails applying improvement measures in perinatal care delivery. Promoting training on temperature conservation in the newborn and increasing the perinatal care team’s awareness on this issue is being considered.

Keywords:

hypothermia; temperature; prematurity; low weight; operating room; C-section; newborn; paediatrics; infancyresearch

Versión en Español

Título:

Conservación de la temperatura en el recién nacido sano al ingreso en la unidad materno-infantil