Antecedents and outcomes of hypothermia at admission to the neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the association between morbidities preceding and following neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission with hypothermia.Study design: NICU admission temperatures for 1271 infants admitted to the NICU at Tufts Medical Center (TMC) between 2012 and 2015 were compared to all Vermont Oxford Network (VON) centers in 2014. We analyzed demographic data, prevalence of hypothermia, and associations with prenatal and neonatal morbidities.Result: Prevalence of hypothermia at TMC was 19% compared to 25% in the VON. We found a significant association between hypothermia and maternal race, birth weight, gestational age, antenatal steroids, chorioamnionitis, mode of delivery, and Apgar scores.Conclusion: Continued emphasis should be placed on avoiding neonatal hypothermia during the first hours of postnatal life.