Transitional hypothermia in preterm newborns

Hypothermia remains a significant challenge in the initial care of premature infants. Although a number of prevention strategies have been identified, hypothermia is still a common event, especially in extremely low birth weight infants. Using data from four centers, we documented an incidence of hypothermia on admission to the neonatal intensive care unit from the delivery room of 31-78% for infants < 1500 g birth weight. Increased efforts will be necessary to prevent early hypothermia in very preterm infants, especially with respect to the environmental conditions of the delivery room itself. Journal of Perinatology (2007) 27, S45-S47. doi:10.1038/sj.jp.7211842.