Thermal effects of covering the single-wall infant incubator with a Blanket.

ABSTRACT

A cross-over study was conducted on the changes in the wall and air temperatures of the single-wall infant incubator, as well as infant abdominal skin and rectal temperatures, when the incubator is covered a blanket. Sixteen clinically stable infants being nursed in incubators, nine males and seven females with a mean birth weight of 1,905 g (rang 1,100 to 3,100 g) and a mean age at the time of study of 17.6 days (range 3 to 48 days), were randomly assigned to two orders of study conditions. Significant temperature increases were recorded when the incubator were covered, compared with periods without a blanket 0.62oC for the abdominal skin incubator wall (p = 0.000); 0.57oC for the air temperature (p = 0.001); 0.11oC for the abdominal skin temperature (p = 0.002); and 0.12oC for the rectal temperature (p = 0.000). The study showed that covering the single-wall infant incubator with a blanket can prevent the incubator wall from heat loss by natural and forced convection, and the infant from heat loss by natural convection and radiation.