Question

Create a chart that describes heat loss in newborns and includes the following:

Causes of heat loss, Measurement of heat loss, Nursing interventions to prevent heat loss.

Answer 1

Heat loss is nothing but hypothrmia

• Normal body temaperature 36.5c-37.5c
• mild hypothermia-36.0-36.4c
• moderate hypothermia-32.0-35.9c
• sever hypothermia-lessthan 32oc

why do babies got cold easily:

• Largebody surface area in re;ation to weight
• Decreased insultation,little sucutaneous fat
• Decresed heat production,less brown fat
• wet when they are born

Mechanism of heat loss:

• convection-Draughts in the room and cold currents around the bay
• Radiation -to colder objects close to the baby
• conduction-direct contact with cold surfaces
• Evaporation-amniotic fluid evaporates from skin surfaces

Causes:

• cold room
• cold draft
• baby left uncovered
• baby is unwell
• baby not feeding well
• baby left wet and uncovered during resuscitation
• baby put on cold surface
• baby is wet at delivery and not dried effectively
• mother and are not together.

Babies cannot regulate body temperature like adults,hypothermia increases morbidity and mortality:

• Increased oxygen consumption,hypoxia,metabolic acidosis
• hypoglycaemia
• Apnoea
• Depletion of surfactant
• poor feeding and failure to gain weight
• Reduced body coagulability.

How to reduce heat loss:

• warm delivery room
• immediate drying
• skin to skin contact
• breast feeding
• bathing and weighing postponed
• appropriate clothing and betting
• mother and baby together
• warm transportation
• warm resuscitation
• training and awareness

prevent to loss heat:  

• provide radient warmer
• incubator
• heated water mattresses
• warm room.warm cot