Infant's physiological response to short heat stress during sauna bath

Thermoregulatory response to Finnish sauna bath was investigated in 47 infants (age 3 - 14 month). Before taking a short sauna bath lasting 3 min, the infants stayed in a swimming pool for 15 min. Under these conditions sauna bathing did not increase the rectal temperature. Unexpectedly rectal temperature even decreased by 0.2 degrees C (p < 0.05) probably due to redistribution of cold peripheral blood into the core of the body. Mean systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure and mean heart rate remained unchanged after sauna bathing. The blood pressure amplitude decreased significantly after the swimming period from 47 mm Hg to 38 mm Hg (p < 0.05) and rose again after sauna bathing to 42 mm Hg. All infants tolerated short heat exposure in the sauna without side effects. The circulatory adjustment was efficient. Even young infants were able to cope with the acute circulatory changes imposed by heat stress. Adequate thermoregulatory and cardiovascular adaptive responses to sauna bathing could be shown for the first time in infants between 3 and 14 months of age.