Incidence and physiologic characteristics of hypothermia in the very low birth weight infant.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of and physiologic characteristics associated with hypothermia in a very low birth weight (VLBW) population.


METHODS
Retrospective through medical record review. Records were reviewed from most current dating backward. A total of 199 consecutive records were reviewed to achieve a sample of 100 VLBW infants meeting inclusion criteria from a 40-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in an urban tertiary care center in the midwest.


METHODS
Admission serum glucose content, blood bicarbonate, oxygen concentration, and temperature were recorded from the medical record and examined for differences.


RESULTS
Forty-five percent of the sample was hypothermic on admission. Hypothermic infants were significantly more likely to be academic (p = 0.0001) than normothermic infants. No significant differences were found between the groups for glucose values or oxygen requirements.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypothermia continues to be an important issue in neonatal care affecting almost half of VLBW infants. Interventions need to be used to reduce hypothermia and acidemia in VLBW infants.
Loughead
M K
MK
Children's Medical Center in Dayton, OH, USA.
Loughead
J L
JL
Reinhart
M J
MJ
D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors