Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1978 Jan;53(1):58-61.
doi: 10.1136/adc.53.1.58.

Thermoregulation in babies immediately after birth

O R Smales, R Kime

Thermoregulation in babies immediately after birth

O R Smales et al. Arch Dis Child. 1978 Jan.

Abstract

The fall in body temperature that occurs in babies soon after birth is influenced by the baby's weight and its environmental conditions. The rate of oxygen consumption 1 1/2 hours after birth was unrelated to body temperature and only slightly raised, indicating a limited thermogenic capacity. A radiant heater effectively prevented cooling in babies kept with their mothers in the delivery room. Washing soon after birth caused a significant cooling. Healthy term babies were found to have a limited thermogenic response to a cool environment over the first 12 hour of life and efforts to limit heat losses should be concentrated on this period.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. J Pediatr. 1965 Mar;66:495-508 - PubMed
    1. Arch Dis Child. 1962 Oct;37:466-9 - PubMed
    1. Arch Dis Child. 1978 Jan;53(1):53-7 - PubMed
    1. JAMA. 1969 Feb 24;207(8):1502-4 - PubMed
    1. Arch Dis Child. 1969 Jun;44(235):323-30 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources