Raising C-Section Room Temperature for preemie births

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Feb 22, 2011

Yes - for at least several years, increasing the ambient temp for preemies has been a key concept in neonatal resuscitation. Chapter 8 of the current NRP textbook should be a good starting point for implementing this practice on your unit.

nicu1991 · Feb 22, 2011

Yes - for at least several years, increasing the ambient temp for preemies has been a key concept in neonatal resuscitation. Chapter 8 of the current NRP textbook should be a good starting point for implementing this practice on your unit.

Thank you for your response EricJRN. I have the data & articles. I have been posed with the question of how many units are actually doing this practice & where. My thread question might not have been very specific. Actually need this info for OB Dept's support. Trying to implement in another NICU. Have been in a NICU where this is done & am a believer.

rockabye · Feb 23, 2011

Why raise the room temperature when you can just put the preemie under a radiant warmer?

nicu1991 · Feb 23, 2011

Why raise the room temperature when you can just put the preemie under a radiant warmer?

I can give you some rationale for the premature baby perspective. I will copy the name of the article you might find some good rationale for this practice. You might find The Golden Hour in the NICU of interest for the piece on thermoregulation. I will post a few other pieces of info from the data that is extremely interesting from a NICU perspective related to morbidity and mortality based on premature babies admit temperatures.

Journal of Perinatology (2007) 27, S45–S47. doi:10.1038/sj.jp.7211842

Transitional hypothermia in preterm newborns

D R Bhatt1, R White2, G Martin3, L J Van Marter4, N Finer5, J P Goldsmith6, C Ramos7, S Kukreja8 and R Ramanathan7

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Nedrelow did a study in 2007 that found for each 1 degree C decrease in admission temperatures that fell below 36 degrees for babies 24-29 wks, chances of survival were decreased by 10%, so a decrease in 2 degrees would increase mortality by 20% and so on. Amazing.

Laptook, in 2007, did a study that found in looking at gestational age, to paraphrase, the lower gestational ages, for each 1 degree Centigrade decrease in admission temperature, late-onset sepsis is increased by 11% & odds of death are increased by 28%. Interesting.

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Babies gain heat in 3 ways, radiation, convection and conduction. Babies lose heat in 4 ways: the 3 previously named plus evaporation. The radiant warmer warms by radiant heat and if the mattress is warmed enough, through conduction. If the delivery room air is cool, heat loss is increased by evaporation and convection from the cool air from what I understand.

rockabye · Feb 24, 2011

nicu1991, that is interesting. Thank you for sharing! :)

nicu1991 · Feb 24, 2011

nicu1991, that is interesting. Thank you for sharing! :)

You are most certainly welcome!

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2011

We do not raise the temp in the C-Section room. It has been discussed at our facility and nixed because of the risk for the Mom.

Infant temp is maintained by placing the infant immediately into a plastic bag, which is over a transwarmer pak, then covered with two warm blankets...infant head is covered with cling wrap after drying to maintain heat..this leaves the infant head exposed for intubation.

nicu1991 · Mar 2, 2011

We do not raise the temp in the C-Section room. It has been discussed at our facility and nixed because of the risk for the Mom.
Infant temp is maintained by placing the infant immediately into a plastic bag, which is over a transwarmer pak, then covered with two warm blankets...infant head is covered with cling wrap after drying to maintain heat..this leaves the infant head exposed for intubation.

Yes we do this. There is data to support raising C-Section room temps according to gestational age without risk to the mother.