Effect of early bathing on temperature of normal newborn infants

Nowadays there is a strong tendency for early bathing of healthy newborns but little is known about the thermal stability of newborns in response to early bathing. The aim of this study was to compare the thermal effect of bathing on healthy newborn within 1-2 h of life versus 4-6 h after birth. In this randomized comparative study 100 healthy newborns in a newborn nursery of a charity hospital in Tehran were studied. The inclusion criteria were: healthy term [>/= 37 wk] newborn over 2500 grams with rectal temperature > 36.5 °C, apgar score > 7 in 1 and 5 min after birth and lack of manifestations of any diseases like sepsis or respiratory distress syndrome .The exclusion criteria were the history of recent fever, leukocytosis, urinary tract infections and using medicines in their mothers. In the experimental group, 50 newborns were bathed within the first 1-2 h of birth; those in control group were bathed at the 4-6 h of age. Rectal temperatures were measured in four different times: before bathing and immediately as well as 30 and 60 min after bathing. Rectal temperatures as measured at four different times did not differ significantly between infants bathed within 1-2 h of birth and those bathed 4-6 h after birth .There were no significant differences between the groups in types of gender, birth weight, gestational age, parity, delivery route, interval time between rupture of membranes and delivery, apgar scores at 1 and 5 min of age. Healthy full term newborns with rectal temperature > 36.5 °C can be bathed within 1-2 h of birth without any risk of hypothermia