title: Effect of trunk-to-head bathing on physiological responses in newborns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of trunk-to-head bathing versus the traditional head-to-trunk bathing on newborns' body temperature, heart rate, and oxygen saturation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, two-group, quasi-experimental repeated measures design.
  
  
  METHODS
  A newborn nursery in an urban university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two healthy full-term newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Newborns were randomly assigned to two groups. The newborns in the experimental group were bathed from trunk to head; those in the control group were bathed from head to trunk. Measurements of body temperature, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were obtained at four time points: before the bath, immediately after the bath, 30 minutes after the bath, and 60 minutes after the bath.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in body temperature, heart rate, or oxygen saturation were observed between groups. However, body temperature was significantly different across measurement times, and there was a significant interaction between group and measurement time. The mean body temperature dropped 0.2°C after bathing in both groups, but the experimental group returned to their initial body temperature more rapidly than the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that newborns who were bathed from trunk to head and whose heads were wet for shorter periods of time benefited with a more rapid recovery of body temperature and decreased heat loss due to evaporation.
authors.forename: Hyun-Sook
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: Mi-Ae
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Je-Yung
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Mun
authors.forename: Myeong-Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Hyun-Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Suk-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pyeon
authors.forename: Mi-Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Bong-Hee
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D001494:Baths / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: bath; heart rate; newborn; saturation; temperature