Abstract
In order the study metabolic rate and temperature control under controlled thermal conditions, we constructed a closed-circuit respirometer for newborn infants which permits the simultaneous measurement of oxygen consumption rate /Vo2/, and body and environmental temperatures. A total of 178 exams have been performed on 62 newborn infants. Over the first five weeks of extrauterine life, minimal Vo2 expressed per unit surface area or per unit body weight rises substantially. The neutral pperative temperature falls progressively. Both rectal-environmental and mean skin-environmental temperature gradients rise. Ambient thermal insulation is slightly low in comparison with the adult, and tissue insulation is substantially lower. Studies in babies under 1000 grams birthweight show the importance of gestational age differences even in this weight group in determining metabolic rate total specific thermal insulation, and neutral operative temperature. These observations allow the first estimate of the caloric requirement for extra-uterine growth in prematurely born infants, based on concurrently measured differences in their metabolic rates.
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