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Body temperature in premature infants during the first week of life: Exploration using infrared thermal imaging
Robin B Knobel-Dail1, Diane Holditch-Davis2, Richard Sloane3
1Duke University School of Nursing, United States; Duke University School of Medicine, United States.
Insights
Infrared thermography successfully measured body temperature in premature infants, revealing regional differences. This non-invasive method aids in understanding thermal patterns and potential health risks for vulnerable newborns.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Medical imaging
- Thermoregulation research
Background:
- Hypothermia poses significant risks, increasing morbidity and mortality in very premature infants.
- Premature infants exhibit abnormal thermal patterns, with warmer feet than abdomen in the first 12 hours of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate infrared thermography as a non-invasive tool for measuring body temperature in premature infants.
- To regionally examine differential body temperatures in premature infants.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Flir SC640 infrared camera for full body temperature capture.
- Measured abdominal and foot temperatures in extremely premature infants within heated, humid incubators.
- Validated infrared thermography measurements against skin thermistors using the Bland and Altman technique.
Main Results:
- Infrared imaging successfully captured body temperatures in extremely premature infants.
- Measurements of abdominal and foot temperatures showed close agreement with skin thermistor data.
- Demonstrated feasibility of using infrared thermography for regional temperature assessment.
Conclusions:
- Infrared thermography is a feasible method for monitoring full body temperatures in premature infants in incubators.
- This technology enables examination of acute changes in perfusion differentials, which are linked to infant morbidity.
- Offers a valuable non-invasive approach for researchers and clinicians in neonatal care.
Background:
Hypothermia is a problem for very premature infants after birth and leads to increased morbidity and mortality. Previously we found very premature infants exhibit abnormal thermal patterns, keeping foot temperatures warmer than abdominal temperatures for their first 12h of life.
Purpose:
We explored the utility of infrared thermography as a non-invasive method for measuring body temperature in premature infants in an attempt to regionally examine differential temperatures.
Results:
Our use of infrared imaging to measure abdominal and foot temperature for extremely premature infants in heated, humid incubators was successful and in close agreement using Bland and Altman technique with temperatures measured by skin thermistors.
Conclusions:
Our study methods demonstrated that it was feasible to capture full body temperatures of extremely premature infants while they were resting in a heated, humid incubator using a Flir SC640 infrared camera. This technology offers researchers and clinicians a method to examine acute changes in perfusion differentials in premature infants which may lead to morbidity.
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