Thermo
Thermo
Thermo
This lecture was developed to help introduce the concept and principles of thermal protection of the newborn. It summarizes the main messages and the most essential information contained in the guidelines Thermal Protection of
the Newborn.
A series of measures taken at birth and during the first few days of life to ensure that the baby: maintains a normal body temperature (36.537.5C) Does not become too cold (<36.5C = hypothermia) Does not become too hot (>37.5C = hyperthermia).
Cont.
In general, newborns need a warmer environment
than adults. All health care providers need to be alert to the risk of hypothermia and hyperthermia. Both are dangerous and may cause the death of the baby, but are easily prevented, by simple procedures, without any special equipment.
Four ways a newborn may lose heat to the environment. Most cooling of the newborn occurs during the first minutes after birth.
How warm should the delivery room be? (step 1) The delivery room temperature should be at least 25C. Adults should never determine the temperature of the delivery room according to their comfort.
How can you prevent heat loss at the time of birth? (steps 2, 3, 4)
Preventing heat loss at the time of birth: drying - wrapping - skin-to-skin - breast-feeding
Bathe quickly
How can you prevent heat loss in the first days of life? Dress newborns with several layers of
loose clothing and bedding according to the environment. (step 6). Keep mother and newborn together in a warm room (rooming- in)as in step 7. Encourage frequent breast-feeding day and night (step 4). Use skin-to-skin contact if baby is cold (step 3).
What steps should be taken to keep a baby warm during resuscitation? (step 9)
Wrap in a warm blanket. Lay on a warm surface in a warm room Put under an addition source of heat. Uncover as little as possible during procedure. Newborns with asphyxia cannot produce heat efficiently and thus get cold easily.
What is hypothermia?
Hypothermia occurs when the newborn's body temperature drops below 36.5C (97.7F) generally because the environment is too cold for the baby. Hypothermia is caused more by lack of knowledge than lack of equipment. Hypothermia can be prevented by following the principles of the warm chain. Hypothermia is a risk for the newborn in any climate, whether in the tropics or in cool mountainous areas.
4. 5. 6. 7.
In an incubator
Kangaroo-mother care
Air-heated incubator
Keeping low birth weight and sick babies warm in maternity unit.
Cont. :
When using a warming device to care for a low birth weight or sick newborn: The baby should be clothed. The baby's body temperature should be monitored regularly. The temperature inside the heating device must be monitored regularly. The room must be heated to at least 25C (77F). The baby should be removed from the device regularly for skin-to-skin contact with the mother and breastfeeding.
How would you teach a mother to keep a low birth weight baby warm at home?
Kangaroo-mother care
Breast-feeding
Warm home
Cont. :
Finally, Thermal protection should be a high priority when planning the care of newborn infants. Thermal protection does not require expensive, sophisticated equipment but rather, a well organized effort to teach to all health care providers and parents of newborn babies, the simple principles of thermal protection.