Why are we so passionate about fighting hypothermia?
With every 1°C decrease in admission temperature below 36°C, the mortality of a baby raises with 28%! The prevalence of hypothermia in low birth weight babies ranges from 42- 85%- all born in hospital.
Interventions to keep newborns warm, can mitigate neonatal mortality by 18 to 42%. We know that hypothermia can lead to severe short- and long term complications, impacting the quality of life for the baby and the family. Our goal is to prevent babies’ body temperature from dropping directly after birth, while the babies are transported from the theater to the neonatal ICU.
Since premature babies are often admitted for extended periods of time, the beanies and socks also help to prevent hypothermia during the hospitalization period and after discharge
Why are babies prone to hypothermia?
Term babies can buffer hypothermia for a few hours. Mechanisms they use are:
- Involuntary muscular activity.
- Vasocontriction of blood vessels supplying the skin.
- Themogenisis (using the brown fat to generate energy).
Unfortunately, these mechanisms are limited in low birth weight (premature) babies. Important to note that babies cannot shiver like adults.
How do we prevent heat loss?
The first 12 hours after birth is a crucial time to prevent hypothermia that can lead to a decrease in the morbidity and mortality of babies. William Silverman has proven this in the 1950’s already: Keeping babies warm, can lead to a 25% reduction in the mortality of ALL birth weight groups, especially those in the extreme low birth weight category (<1000g). The WHO and the DOH have numerous protocols in place to aid healthcare workers in preventing hypothermia. Additionally to this, we as Beanies4babies want to cover every low-birth-weight baby with a beanie and socks, to further decrease the risk of heat loss.
Short term complications
- Hypoglycemia.
- Respiratory distress.
- Metabolic acidosis.
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
- Retinopathy of prematurity.
- Necrotising enterocolitis.
- Tachypnoea causing respiratory fatigue.
- Bradycardia due to hypoxia, leading to cardiac arrest.
- Poor feeding.
Long term complications
- Failure to gain weight or weight loss due to increased metabolism.
- Altered blood coagulopathy and risk of bleeding.
- Increased risk of infection.
- Neurological damage.
- Altered blood flow to the brain leading to intraventricular haemorrhage.
