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[The Effect of High Humidity Environments on Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review]
Yu-Han Kao1, Hsiu-Chen Chen2, Shin-Yu Angela Lien3
1BSN, RN, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Branch, Taiwan, ROC.
Insights
This review provides guidelines for high humidity care for preterm infants, recommending specific humidity levels and durations to improve physiological indicators and reduce complications. This evidence-based approach supports better clinical practice for vulnerable newborns.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Environmental physiology
- Perinatal medicine
Background:
- Evidence on high-humidity environments for preterm infants is limited.
- Lack of clear guidelines complicates prognosis evaluation and clinical practice.
- Comorbidities in preterm infants necessitate optimized care strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore prognostic effects of interventions in high-humidity environments for very low birthweight preterm infants.
- To provide an empirical basis for clinical-care guidelines.
- To clarify the timing and practice of interventional care in high-humidity settings.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of literature from 1930-2021.
- Keywords: "premature infants", "very low weight premature infants", "humidity".
- Included infants ≤ 1,500g or ≤ 34 weeks gestation; 9 articles synthesized.
Main Results:
- Recommended high humidity (70-80% week 1, 50-60% week 2) for infants ≤ 30 weeks gestation or ≤ 1,000g.
- Optimal duration of high humidity is two weeks to support stratum corneum development.
- Significant improvements observed: reduced water intake, increased urine output, lower hypernatremia.
Conclusions:
- Integrated appropriate timing and practice for high humidity intervention in preterm infants.
- Aims to provide evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.
- Supports optimized care for very low birthweight preterm infants.
Background:
The scholarly evidence on the timing and practice of interventional care administered to preterm infants in high-humidity environments is unclear. This makes evaluating the prognosis of preterm infants with comorbidities difficult and means that clinical medical staff lack clear guidelines for care.
Purpose:
This systematic review was designed to explore the prognostic effects of interventions for comorbidities performed on very low birthweight preterm infants in high humidity environments to provide an empirical basis for developing related clinical-care guidelines.
Methods:
An electronic database was searched for all relevant documents published between 1930 and September 2021. The keywords used were "premature infants" OR "very low weight premature infants" OR "very low weight premature infants" AND "humidity", and the target groups were premature infants weighing ≤ 1,500 grams or delivered at ≤ 34 weeks of gestation. The timing and practice of interventions in high humidity environments and the occurrence and prognosis of related comorbidities were explored. The main findings cover the issues of body weight, total water intake, electrolytes, urine output, insensitivity water loss, infection, common complications, and mortality in preterm infants. After reviewing the methods, quality, and efficacy of the research in the identified studies, 9 articles were selected for integrated synthesis.
Results:
Recommendations for the use of high humidity with infants delivered at ≤ 30 weeks of gestation or at birth weights ≤ 1,000 grams were integrated. An environment with a relative humidity of 70%-80% should be used during the first postpartum week and 50%-60% during the second postpartum week. The recommended total duration of use of a high-humidity environment is two weeks to avoid delaying the development of the stratum corneum. Physiological indicators shown to exhibit significant improvement under this regimen include reduced total water intake, increased urine output, and a lower incidence of hypernatremia.
Conclusions / Implications For Practice:
The appropriate timing and practice of high humidity intervention were integrated in this study. It is hoped that this review provides an evidence-based clinical practice guideline for preterm infant care.
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