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Changes in physiological and behavioral parameters of preterm infants undergoing body hygiene: a systematic review
Patrícia de Freitas1, Silvia Rezende Marques1, Taisy Bezerra Alves1
1School of Nursing, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Insights
Sponge baths significantly lower body temperature in preterm infants, while immersion baths maintain stable temperatures. This systematic review analyzed bathing effects on infant thermal regulation.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric nursing
- Thermoregulation
Background:
- Maintaining stable body temperature is critical for preterm infants.
- Bathing practices can impact infant thermoregulation.
- Evidence on the specific effects of different bathing methods is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the effect of bathing on body temperature in preterm infants.
- To compare the thermoregulatory impact of sponge baths versus immersion baths.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of multiple electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, etc.).
- Search terms included PICO framework elements for patient population, intervention, and outcome.
- Included studies were assessed for levels of evidence and grades of recommendation.
Main Results:
- Four studies met the inclusion criteria from 824 identified publications.
- Three studies analyzed both sponge and immersion baths.
- Sponge baths resulted in a statistically significant decrease in body temperature.
Conclusions:
- Sponge bathing leads to a significant drop in preterm infant body temperature.
- Immersion bathing maintained stable body temperature in late preterm infants.
- Clinical guidelines for bathing preterm infants should consider these findings.
Abstract:
Objective To verify the effect of bathing on the body temperature of preterm infants (PTI). Method Systematic review conducted in the following bibliographic electronic sources: Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde/Lilacs (BVS), Cumulated Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, PubMed, SCOPUS and Web of Science, using a combination of search terms, keywords and free terms. The review question was adjusted to the PICO acronym (Patient/population, Intervention, Control/comparative intervention, Outcome). The selected publications were evaluated according to levels of evidence and grades of recommendation for efficacy/effectiveness studies, as established by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Results Eight hundred and twenty four (824) publications were identified and four studies met the inclusion criteria, of which three analyzed the effect of sponge baths and the effect of immersion baths. Conclusion Sponge baths showed a statistically significant drop in body temperature, while in immersion baths the body temperature remained stable, although they studied late preterm infants.
