Temperature change in the newborn : its implication for flexible nursing care

The purpose of this study was to determine if there would be a statistically significant difference in loss of body heat between the newborn infant dried, wrapped in a warm blanket and held by the mother for 15 minutes post-delivery, and the newborn infant dried and placed under a radiant heater for 15 minutes post-delivery. Normal newborn infants weighing over 51/2 pounds and with Apgar scores of 7 and above were the subjects. The number studied was 50 infants. All data were collected by the investigator in a private hospital situated in a small middle to upper-middle class university community. Mothers of infants studied were largely middle-class with medical care provided by private physicians. The control group of 25 infants received routine care, i.e., placed in a crib under a radiant heater and dried, remaining there for the 15-minute experimental period. The experimental group included 25 infants who were dried, wrapped in a warm blanket and held by the mother for the 15-minute experimental period. All subjects had rectal temperatures taken at 5 and 15 minutes after birth. Temperatures of infants placed under the radiant heater were then compared with the temperatures of those infants held by their mothers. Variables relative to weight, sex, Apgar score, room temperature, crib temperature and mother's temperature were compared in the two groups. Two-way analysis of covariance and correlations of variables were achieved utilizing an IBM 360 Model 65 computer at the Brigham Young University computer research center. It was found there was no significant statistical difference in the amount of heat loss between the control and experimental group, and the temperatures of both groups remained within the acceptable range of heat loss. There was statistically significant positive correlation between the mother's temperature and the infant's 5 and 15-niinute temperature in both groups. In the control group, positive correlation existed between the room t temperature and crib temperature. In the experimental group there was positive correlation between the infant's 15-minute temperature and his weight. Negative correlation was present in the control group between the Apgar score and the 5 and 15-minute temperatures and in the experimental group between the amount of heat loss and the infant's weight. Variation in the crib temperature in both groups approached the level of significance. Data from this small study seem to indicate that if the normal newborn is thoroughly dried and wrapped in a warm blanket, he can be he held by his mother without significant loss of body heat.