Effect of polyethylene occlusive skin wrapping on heat loss in very low birth weight infants at delivery: A randomized trial☆,☆☆,★
Section snippets
METHODS
We conducted a randomized clinical trial to compare the effects of wrapping or not wrapping infants born at <31 weeks’ gestation at the Grace Hospital (later the IWK Grace Health Centre) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from January 1, 1995, to July 31, 1996. The study population consisted of consecutively born infants of 31 completed weeks of gestation or less. Each subject was recruited when the neonatal team was called to attend the delivery. Exclusion criteria were major congenital anomalies with
RESULTS
A total of 62 infants were recruited (23 boys and 29 <28 weeks’ gestation). Of these, 59 infants completed the study (Table I).One infant was excluded because no rectal temperature was recorded. Two infants were excluded because of an imperforate anus.
Younger and smaller infants were more dependent on the wrapping than older infants for maintaining a higher rectal temperature (Table I and Fig 2).
DISCUSSION
Polyethylene wrap applied immediately after birth reduces the postnatal fall in temperature of very immature infants by reducing evaporative and convective heat loss. This is more effective than conventional drying and exposure, when both methods are applied under radiant heat.
We found a difference in the effectiveness of the wrap on newborns of different gestational ages. Wrapping was significantly more effective in preventing heat loss in the infants born between 23 and 27 completed weeks of
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Cited by (0)
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Supported by the IWK Grace Research Foundation, Halifax NS.
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Reprint requests: R.K. Whyte, MB, IWK Grace Health Centre, 5980 University Ave, Halifax NS Canada B3J 3G9.
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0022-3476/99/$5.00 + 0 9/21/97132