Skip to main content
Log in

Consequences of a small decrease of air temperature from thermal equilibrium on thermoregulation in sleeping neonates

  • Published:
Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A new heating unit (servocontrolled skin temperature derivative system) has been designed to control the thermal environment in closed incubators. This type of control acts to attain and closely maintain a thermal equilibrium between a neonate's skin temperature and the environment. The present study aims to discover if thermal equilibrium is located within a thermoneutral range defined from oxygen consumption (\(\dot V_{O_2 } \)) and body temperature, and whether it is more appropriate to define an optimal thermal environment. As regards\(\dot V_{O_2 } \) and body temperature, results show that the air temperature reached at thermal equilibrium fulfils the definition of thermoneutrality. According to these criteria, a small decrease (1.5°C) from thermal equilibrium also provides a near thermoneutral environment to the neonate but induces sleep disturbances and an increase in body movements. These two additional parameters delineate a narrower thermoneutral zone than does minimal metabolic rate because\(\dot V_{O_2 } \) can stay constant even when air and body temperatures decrease. The results suggest that thermal equilibrium might be assimilated with a thermal comfort zone.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adamsons, K.J., Gandy, G.M., andJames, L.S. (1965): ‘The influence of thermal factors upon oxygen consumption of the newborn human infant’,J. Pediatr.,66, pp. 495–508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azaz, Y., Fleming, P.J., Levine, M., McCabe, R., Stewart, A., andJohnson, P. (1992): ‘The relationship between environmental temperature, metabolic rate, sleep state, and evaporative water loss in infants from birth to three months’,Pediatr. Res.,32, pp. 417–423

    Google Scholar 

  • Bach, V., Bouferrache, B., Kremp, O., Maingourd, Y., andLibert, J.P. (1994): ‘Regulation of sleep and body temperature in response to exposure to cool and warm environments in neonates’,Pediatrics,93, pp. 789–796

    Google Scholar 

  • Berger, R.J., andPhillips, N.H. (1988): ‘Comparative aspects of energy metabolism, body temperature and sleep’,Acta Physiol. Scand.,133, pp. 21–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Brück, K., Parmelee, A.H., andBrück, M. (1962): ‘Neutral temperature range and range of “thermal comfort” in premature infants’,Biol. Neonate,4, pp. 32–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Curzi-Dascalova, L., andMirmiran, M. (Eds.) (1996): ‘Manual of methods for recording and analyzing sleep-wakefulness states in preterm and full-term infant’, p. 162

  • Darnall, R.A., andAriagno, R.L. (1982): ‘The effect of sleep state on active thermoregulation in the premature infant’,Pediatr. Res.,16, pp. 512–514

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleming, P.J., Levine, M.R., Azaz, Y., andJohnson, P. (1988): ‘The effect of sleep state on the metabolic response to cold stress in newborn infants’in Jones, C.T. (Ed.) ‘Fetal and neonatal development’ (Perinatology Press), pp. 635–639

  • Glass, L., Silverman, W.A., andSinclair, J.C. (1968): ‘Effect of the thermal environment on cold resistance and growth of small infants after the first week of life’,Pediatrics,41, pp. 1033–1046

    Google Scholar 

  • Hey, E.N. (1969): ‘The relation between environmental temperature and oxygen consumption in the new-born baby’,J. Physiol. (London),200, pp. 589–603

    Google Scholar 

  • Hey, E.N. (1971): ‘The care of babies in incubators’in Gairdner, D., andHull, D. (Eds.) ‘Recent Advances in Pediatrics’ (4th Edn; Churchill) pp. 171–216

  • Hey, E.N., andKatz, G. (1970): ‘The optimum thermal environment for naked babies’,Arch. Dis. Child.,45, pp. 328–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, P., andAndrews, D.C. (1991): ‘The role of thermometabolism on cardiorespiratory function in postnatal life’in Gaultier, C., Escourrou, P., andCurzi-Dascalova, L. (Eds.) ‘Sleep and cardiorespiratory control’ (Colloque INSERM) pp. 45–53

  • Kintzel, H.W. (1966): ‘Der Energiestoffwechsel Frühgeborerier bei langanhaltender Hypothermie’,Mschr. Kinderheilk,114, pp. 544–550

    Google Scholar 

  • McGinty, D., andSzymusiak, R. (1990): ‘Keeping cool: a hypothesis about the mechanisms and functions of slow wave sleep’,TINS,13, pp. 480–487

    Google Scholar 

  • Mount, L.E. (1974): ‘The concept of thermoneutrality’in Monteith, J.L., andMount, L.E. (Eds.) ‘Heat loss from animals and man’ (Butterworths) pp. 425–439

  • Pajot, N., Vicente, G., andDreyfus-Brisac, C. (1976): ‘Techniques d'enregistrement des mouvements oculaires chez le nouveau-né: comparaison des methodes’,J. Electrophysiol. Technol.,2, pp. 29–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Poole, S., andStevenson, J.D. (1977): ‘Body temperature regulation and thermoneutrality in rats’,Q. J. Exp. Physiol.,62, pp. 143–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, N., Brown, S.M., andHull, D. (1978): ‘Variations in the resting oxygen consumption of small babies’,Arch. Dis. Child.,53, pp. 850–854

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryser, G., andJequier, E. (1972): ‘Study by direct calorimetry of thermal balance on the first day of life’,Eur. J. Clin. Invest.,2, pp. 176–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sauer, P.J.J., Dane, H.J., andVisser, H.K.A. (1984): ‘New standards for neutral thermal environment of healthy very low birthweight infants in week one of life’,Arch. Dis. Child,59, pp. 18–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Scopes, J.W., andAhmed, I. (1966): ‘Minimal rates of oxygen consumption in sick and premature newborn infants’,Arch. Dis. Child.,41, pp. 407–416

    Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, W.A., andAgate, F.J. (1964): ‘Variation in cold resistance among small newborn infants’,Biol. Neonate,6, pp. 113–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smales, O.R.C., andHull, D. (1978): ‘Metabolic response to cold in the newborn’,Arch. Dis. Child,53, pp. 407–410

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stothers, J.K., andWarner, R.M. (1977): ‘Thermal balance and sleep state in the newborn infant in a cool environment’,J. Physiol. (Lond.),273, pp. 57–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Stothers, J.K., andWarner, R.M. (1984): ‘Thermal balance and sleep state in the newborn’,Early Hum. Dev.,9, pp. 313–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Szymusiak, R. andSatinoff, E. (1981): ‘Maximal REM sleep time defines a narrower thermoneutral zone than does minimal metabolic rate’,Physiol Behav.,26, pp. 687–690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teelliez, F., Bach, V., Delanaud, S., Bouferrache, B., Krim, G. andUbert, J.-P. (1997): Skin derivative control of thermal environment in a closed incubator,Med. Biol. Eng. Comput.,35, pp. 521–527

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Telliez, F., Bach, V., Krim, G. et al. Consequences of a small decrease of air temperature from thermal equilibrium on thermoregulation in sleeping neonates. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 35, 516–520 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02525533

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02525533

Keywords

Navigation