Reducing hypothermia in preterm babies by usage of bubble wrap
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13112/pc.1001Keywords:
Infant, premature; Hypothermia; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Kangaroo-Mother Care MethodAbstract
Objective: To determine if using bubble wrap in the routine care of preterm babies will reduce the incidence of hypothermia after transfer from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to the High-Dependency Unit (HDU).
Materials and Methods: This is an interventional study conducted in a tertiary-level NICU (Bangalore, India) from April 2018 to September 2023. The study included 140 preterm babies with different gestational ages and birth weights who were shifted or admitted to the HDU during that period. The babies’ vital parameters (heart rate, temperature, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate) were monitored on a four-hourly basis for 2 days before and 2 days after intervention, and the results were recorded. Descriptive statistics were used for statistical analysis.
Results: The incidence of hypothermia before using bubble wrap was 44.3 %, while no cases of hypothermia were observed after its application. The mean temperature of the infants before using bubble wrap was 36.66 ± 0.06 °C, compared to 36.72 ± 0.06 °C afterward, with a p-value of 0.0001, indicating statistical significance.
Conclusion: Bubble wrap is a safe and cost-effective measure in preventing hypothermia in preterm infants.
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