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which is 0.8% of all infants born that year. Extremely low-birthweight infants typically have a gestational age less than 28 to 29 weeks. These infants accounted for almost 49% of all infant deaths in 2003 (Mathews & MacDorman, 2006). Because ELBW infants are so fragile, they need more specialized care in the neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU) than larger premature infants. Thermal control for these infants is an important aspect of their care because hypothermia can lead to increased mortality and morbidity ( Hazan, Maag, & Chessex, 1991; Vohra, Grent, Campbell, Abbott, & Whyte, 1999 ). This paper will review thermoregulation and cold stress in the ELBW infant, describe observational data from a study evaluating temperature in 10 ELBW infants during their first 12 hours of life (Knobel, 2006), and suggest nursing interventions that may prevent heat loss in this vulnerable population.
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Infant Thermoregulation
In adults, the immediate responses to a cold body temperature are peripheral vasoconstriction to diminish heat loss, inhibition of sweating, and initiation of shivering, with a resultant increase in heat production. The effector mechanisms of skeletal muscle stimulation are minimal in infants, so infants do not shiver in response to a cold environment. Therefore, vasoconstriction is the main result of activation of peripheral skin receptors (Guyton & Hall, 2006). Nonshivering thermogenesis is the main mechanism in neonates to produce heat through metabolic activity (see Figure 1). Increased sympathetic activity, controlled in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus, causes norepinephrine to be released from nerve endings terminating on the surface of brown adipocytes (brown fat), while simultaneously causing an increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone. Thyroidstimulating hormone stimulates the release of thyroid hormones, mostly thyroxine (T 4), and norepinephrine activates 5/3-monodeiodinase, causing T4 to convert to triiodothyronine (T 3) (Barrett, 2003). T3 generated in brown adipose tissue upregulates an uncoupling protein (UCP or thermogenin), thereby
uncoupling mitochondrial oxidation from phosphorylation in the brown adipose tissue and causing heat production. In the presence of free fatty acids, thermogenin allows protons to enter the mitochondria and uncouples adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. As a result, the mitochondria in brown adipose tissue can produce heat without storing energy through ATP (Jones & DeCherney, 2003).
Figure 1
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Thermoregulation in the ELBW Infant. Nonshivering thermogenesis yields heat through oxidation of free fatty acids (Guyton & Hall, 2006; Widmaier et al., 2005) and depends on adequate components of heat production, mainly brown fat, 5/3-monodeiodinase, and thermogenin (Jones & DeCherney, 2003). Thermoregulation processes are inefficient in ELBW infants because of the infants' immature organ systems and lower levels of thermogenin and 5/3-monodeiodinase (Houstek et al., 1993). Brown adipose tissue begins to develop as early as the 75-mm fetal stage (Hatai, 1902). Hull (1977) calculated that 20 to 30 g of brown adipose tissue are necessary to handle all the nonshivering thermogenesis needs of a newborn baby. The structure of brown adipose tissue is well developed in preterm infants at as early as 25 weeks gestational age (Sauer, 1995), with brown fat comprising about 1% to 2% of body weight (Nechad, 1986). Brown adipose tissue is not the only factor essential for nonshivering thermogenesis. The level of thermogenin in infants increases from 29.4 3.3 pmol/mg at 25 weeks gestational age to 62.5 10.2 pmol/mg at 40 weeks (Houstek et al., 1993). A major increase in thermogenin occurs at 32 weeks gestational age, approximately the time when a neonate can use nonshivering thermogenesis to generate heat effectively. The enzyme 5/3-monodeiodinase is active at 25 weeks gestational age, shows a major increase in amount at 32 weeks gestational age (Houstek et al., 1993), and increases fourfold by term. Low levels of thermogenin and 5/3-monodeiodinase before 32 weeks are the probable causes of ineffective nonshivering thermogenesis in ELBW infants.
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resistance (Sinclair, 1992). If left unchecked, these conditions can lead to permanent tissue damage, brain damage, or death (Deshpande & Platt, 1997).
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Figure 2
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skin, along with subcutaneous tissues and fat, acts as an insulator for the body. Fat conducts heat only one third as readily as other body tissues (Guyton & Hall, 2006). Skin transfers heat to the environment by way of radiation, conduction, convection, and evaporation. Radiation is the process by which all body surfaces emit heat in the form of electromagnetic waves ( Guyton & Hall, 2006 Nadel, 2003 ; ). The infrared portion of the electromagnetic energy spectrum, commonly known as heat, carries this energy. The rate of heat loss is proportional to the temperature difference between the skin and the radiating body. Heat may be lost from the infant's body to a nearby cold wall, or heat may be gained by the skin from a heat lamp near the infant. In infants older than 28 weeks gestational age, heat loss from radiation is the most important route of heat transfer from birth onward. Radiative heat losses are initially low in ELBW infants but gradually increase with age and become the most important route of heat transfer after the first postnatal week (Sedin, 1995). Heat transfers by conduction occur when the skin is in contact with a surface of a different temperature (Guyton & Hall, 2006; Nadel, 2003). Heat moves from infant skin surface molecules to the molecules of another surface (air, water, or solid surface such as mattress) as they collide. In the NICU, conductive heat gain or loss is minimized by positioning infants on prewarmed surfaces. Heat is transferred by convection when moving air or water currents carry heat away from the body surface to the environment (Guyton & Hall, 2006; Nadel, 2003). Warm molecules rise into the air from the skin because molecules move from a higher temperature with higher energy to a lower temperature with lower energy. If the infant's body surface is warmer than the surrounding air, heat is first conducted into the air and then swept away by convective air currents. Convection is the source of heat loss when an infant is carried from the mother on the delivery room table through the cool air to the radiant warmer table. Heat loss by evaporation occurs when water is lost from the skin and membrane linings of the respiratory tract. During evaporation, water is converted from a liquid to a gas. The evaporative rate is proportional to the water vapor pressure gradient between the skin and the environment and is independent of the temperature gradient between the skin and the environment ( Nadel, 2003). As the water vapor escapes into the air because of a vapor pressure gradient between the body surface and the air, heat is lost from the infant into the air. Evaporation causes 0.6 kcal of heat to be lost for every 1 g of water lost from the body (Guyton & Hall, 2006; Nadel). For infants 25 to 27 weeks gestational age in dry environments, evaporative heat loss is the major form of heat loss during the first 10 days of life. Hammarlund and Sedin (1979) found that transepidermal water loss in infants was inversely correlated with gestational age, with infants born at 25 weeks gestational age losing 15 times more water than term infants, because more immature preterm infants have thinner skin. These high evaporative heat losses in preterm infants during the first few hours and days of life gradually decrease with advancing postnatal age (Sedin, 1995), most likely because of skin maturation. If infants are kept in an environment with 60% humidity, evaporative heat loss is much lower (Sedin). A neutral thermal environment is the environmental condition in which the temperature of the naked body does not change when the subject is at rest and there is no muscle activity ( Nadel, 2003). In a neutral thermal environment, the airflow, humidity, and temperature of surrounding radiating surfaces will minimize heat loss or gain through radiation, conduction, convection, and evaporation to keep the infant in a steady metabolic state.
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polyurethane) had significantly higher admission temperatures than unwrapped infants, with mean temperatures of 36.0C to 37.0C in the wrapped groups versus 35.3C to 36.1C in the non-wrapped groups (Cramer, Wiebe, Harding, Crumley, & Vohra, 2005). The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Heart Association (2005) now recommend that the use of polyethylene bags be considered to prevent heat loss in very low-birthweight infants (less than 1,500 g) during delivery room resuscitation. Prior to this recommendation, we found that only 20% of the 125 NICUs responding to a survey of 411 NICUs across the United States used this intervention ( Knobel, Vohra, & Lehmann, 2005 ). As in our previous study (Knobel, Wimmer, et al., 2005), current protocol in our NICU includes use of polyurethane bags by DeRoyal, Powell, TN, USA (REF30-5010, sterile transportation bag 19 x 18) to prevent heat loss by evaporation in the delivery room. After the infant is delivered and placed on the warmer, he or she is immediately placed in a polyurethane bag up to the neck, while still covered with amniotic fluid. The infant's head is dried and covered by a hat. Resuscitation continues using the standard neonatal resuscitation protocol. The infant's heart rate can easily be auscultated through the bag with a stethoscope. The infant in the bag is transferred to the NICU, with warm blankets placed over the infant's body on the warmer table with the heat turned off during transfer. Because our previous study (Knobel, Wimmer, et al., 2005) did not use a radiant heat source on the infant during transport to the NICU, care should be taken that the infant is not overheated if additional heat is used while the infant is in a bag.
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Nurses need to prewarm the incubator or radiant warmer before the infant arrives in the NICU. A warm incubator or warmer will help prevent conductive and radiative heat loss. As admissions of ELBW infants are often not announced, a warm incubator should be available at all times for unexpected deliveries. Porthole covers for the incubator need to be in place prior to the infants' arrival. Linens, clothing, and gel mattresses should be prewarmed before placing these items next to the infant's skin. Although these interventions seem obvious, they can be forgotten for hours after the admission. The time required for procedures such as umbilical catheter insertion needs to be limited because heat cannot reach infant body surfaces while infants are under sterile drapes. This may be a particular problem in institutions that have first- and second-year residents or nurse practitioner students because trainees may need extra time to insert umbilical lines. The nurse needs to keep track of procedure time and monitor the infant's temperature. In addition, placing a warm transport gel mattress under the blanket during procedures may be beneficial. Auxiliary heat lamps also may be used. The light will also help speed the catheter insertion process by better illuminating the umbilical area. Once the procedure is complete, the incubator top is closed as quickly as possible to allow convective heat to circulate around the infant. Humidity needs to be added as soon as the incubator top is closed and kept at 50% or greater ( Sedin, 1995) to reduce evaporative heat loss. Infants in our study were cared for in closed Giraffe incubators with up to 80% humidity. Many times when the door of the incubator was opened or the humidity level decreased below about 60%, infant body temperatures decreased by as much as 1C within 5 minutes. Infant temperature quickly rebounded when humidity was increased. Ventilator heaters need to be set at a warm temperature before use. Previous research has not examined the optimal ventilator temperatures for ELBW infants. In the study of NICU, ventilator temperatures were controlled at approximately 35C to 38C. We observed infant temperatures decreased up to 1C when ventilator temperatures decreased to 29C to 34C. Such a decrease in ventilator temperature can occur when the heater is malfunctioning or the water has been depleted. Thus, care needs to be taken to insure the water in the ventilator heater does not run out. Intravenous fluids need to be prewarmed by placing the syringe or bag of intravenous fluid into the incubator before delivering the fluid to the ELBW infant. In our study, infant abdominal temperature decreased when fluid boluses were given through umbilical venous catheters. No previous research has documented temperature decreases in ELBW infants related to cold intravenous fluid infusions. However, standard protocols for exchange transfusions, whereby an infant's blood is removed slowly while the infant is transfused with new blood, dictate the use of blood warmed to 37C (Cloherty, Stark, & Eichenwald, 2003). If the ELBW infant needs a blood transfusion or saline bolus, the fluid in a syringe can be warmed in the infant's incubator prior to infusion.