Assessment of cereal-grain warming pad as a heat source for newborn transport.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The study assessed warming pad (WP) filled with either mung beans or dry corn used in feeding livestocks as a heat source for newborn transport. Its use was to compensate for lack of transport incubator or to employ as a supplemental heat source for warming the infant or incubator when transport made in cold weather. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The WP was made of a strong-cotton-cloth bag (the fabric for making jeans) with a size of A4 paper sheet. The bag was filled with one kilogram of either mung beans or dry corn (used in feeding livestocks). The WP was heated in a 800-watts microwave oven for 2 minutes with grains thoroughly mixed inside to distribute heat evenly and put in a disposable A4-size brown envelope. The temperature at the surface of the brown envelope with the WP inside was recorded every 5 minutes for 120 minutes to assess which cereal grain could emit more heat and keep the heat longer Then the WP was heated in the microwave oven for 1, 1 1/2 and 2 minutes, placed in the same size of brown envelope and covered with two towels. The temperatures at the surface of the brown envelope and each layer of towels were recorded with the same frequency and duration. RESULTS: The cereal-grain WPs, both mung beans and dry corn, were equally effective in producing heat when warmed in the microwave oven. The mean maximal temperatures at the surface of brown envelope were too high for direct application to newborns. The mean maximal temperatures of towels covering the paper envelope with WP heated in the microwave oven for 1 minute were as followed. At the first towel, which was close to the WP, the mean temperature reached 42 degrees C (107.6 degrees F) in 10 minutes after warming and was maintained > or = 42 degrees C for 10 minutes. All temperature measurements at the first towel was < or = 42 degrees C at 35 minutes. At 2 hours the mean temperature of the first towel was 35.6 degrees C (96.1 degrees F) which was higher than room temperature by 5.3 degrees C (41.5 degrees F). The maximal mean temperature measured at the second towel, representing the infant's skin contact surface, was 39.7 degrees C (103.5 degrees F) at 15 minutes of which the peak temperature was 41.0 degrees C (105.8 degrees F). CONCLUSION: The cereal-grain WP, when used along with traditional nursing interventions as a heat source during newborn transport, should be safe with careful handling. It should be heated in the microwave oven exactly for one minute. A towel is placed above an A4-size brown envelope with the WP inside and the bundled infant is placed on it. Remove the towel at 35 minutes and lay the bundled infant on the brown envelope. It should be effective and safe in providing a warm transport for at least 2 hours since the temperature of the WP at the towel representing skin contact surface is not higher than 42 degrees C (107.6 degrees F) and there is no risk for hot water leakage.