Neonatal thermoregulation: bed surface transfers.

Abstract

To describe temperature changes that occur in preterm infants following bed surface transfers. The design was descriptive. The convenience sample was comprised of 20 preterm infants (< 1,500 gm birth weight). Temperature stability after a bed transfer (i.e., radiant warmer to incubator) was the main outcome variable. There were no significant differences in temperatures after bed surface transfer. However, the temperatures one hour after bed surface transfer were lower than baseline temperature before bed surface transfer.