Transwarmer® mattress project (temp) at delivery : a prospective, randomized control trial of the transwarmer mattress to reduce admission hypothermia of low birth weight infants

Ph.D. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2013.Includes bibliographical references.Background/Significance Low birth weight infants are at particularly high risk for altered thermoregulation. Factors such as the absence or low amounts of brown fat in the preterm infant do not allow for non-shivering thermogenesis. Despite research of hypothermia in low birth weight infants it remains a common problem today. (1-3) Hypothesis Standardized use of the TransWarmer® mattress will reduce the incidence of admission hypothermia. Sample Low birth weight infants, between 30-35 weeks gestation, born at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children, Honolulu, HI, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Research Design Prospective, experimental randomized control trial. Instrument TransWarmer® mattress, CooperSurgical, Trumbull, CT Procedure Patients were randomized into a control group or an experimental group. Infants in the control group underwent routine care provided by the medical team attending the delivery. Participants in the experimental group followed a scripted protocol of the use of the TransWarmer® mattress with the infant through delivery and admission into the NICU for a total time period of two hours. Data 53 infants recruited into the study. Thirteen participants were removed from the study due to delivery after 35 weeks gestation. Data was obtained from a sample of 40 infants. Results The results revealed that the occurrence of hypothermia on admission was significantly lower in the TransWarmer® mattress group