Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 1, 2026

Non-invasive Optical Measurement of Cerebral Metabolism and Hemodynamics in Infants
11:39

Non-invasive Optical Measurement of Cerebral Metabolism and Hemodynamics in Infants

Published on: March 14, 2013

Direct calorimetry for the measurement of heat release in preterm infants: methods and applications

M Rao1, E Koenig, S Li

  • 1Children's Medical Center of Brooklyn, SUNY/HSCB 11203, USA.

Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association
|September 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Direct calorimetry accurately measures heat release in premature infants. This method is simple, safe, and valuable for studying infant metabolism and water loss.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatology
  • Pediatric Metabolism
  • Infant Physiology

Background:

  • Direct calorimetry is a precise method for assessing human biologic heat production.
  • Accurate measurement of metabolic heat release is crucial for understanding infant physiology, especially in vulnerable low birth weight populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish and validate direct calorimetry for measuring heat release in low birth weight premature infants.
  • To assess the safety, simplicity, and accuracy of this method in a clinical setting.

Main Methods:

  • Direct calorimetry was performed on 10 low birth weight infants (smallest 1.43 kg) over 22 occasions.
  • Infants underwent calorimetry between 1 and 18 weeks of age.
  • Heat release was measured and recorded.

Main Results:

  • The study confirmed direct calorimetry as a simple, safe, and accurate technique for this population.
  • Measured heat release in infants ranged from 1.31 kcal/kg/hr.
  • The method proved effective even for very small infants.

Conclusions:

  • Direct calorimetry provides a valuable tool for quantifying total metabolic heat release in very low birth weight infants from early life.
  • This technique can be used to estimate insensible water losses.
  • It allows for the examination of how feeding regimens and disease states impact total heat release.

More Related Videos

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates06:27

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates

Published on: December 31, 2015

Using a Combination of Indirect Calorimetry, Infrared Thermography, and Blood Glucose Levels to Measure Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis in Humans04:54

Using a Combination of Indirect Calorimetry, Infrared Thermography, and Blood Glucose Levels to Measure Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis in Humans

Published on: June 2, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Constant Pressure Calorimetry03:02

Constant Pressure Calorimetry

Calorimetry is a technique used to measure the amount of heat involved in a chemical or physical process or to measure the heat transferred to or from a substance. The heat is exchanged with a calibrated and insulated device called the calorimeter. Calorimetry experiments are based on the assumption that there is no heat exchange between the insulated calorimeter and the external environment. The well-insulated calorimeters prevent the transfer of heat between the calorimeter and its external...
Constant Volume Calorimetry02:41

Constant Volume Calorimetry

Calorimeters are useful to determine the heat released or absorbed by a chemical reaction. Coffee cup calorimeters are designed to operate at constant (atmospheric) pressure and are convenient to measure heat flow (or enthalpy change) accompanying processes that occur in solution at constant pressure. A different type of calorimeter that operates at constant volume, colloquially known as a bomb calorimeter, is used to measure the energy produced by reactions that yield large amounts of heat and...
Decreased Body Temperature01:29

Decreased Body Temperature

A decreased body temperature can occur in patients with hypothermia and frostbite. Heat loss with extended cold exposure overpowers the body's ability to create heat, resulting in hypothermia. Core temperature readings help classify hypothermia. Mild hypothermia is temperatures between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 35°C (95 °F) and is caused by impaired thermoregulation. Moderate hypothermia is temperatures between 28 C (82.4 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F) caused by sustained extreme cold exposure, and severe...
Equipments Used to Measure Body Temperature01:13

Equipments Used to Measure Body Temperature

Body temperature can be assessed using various devices and measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Glass-bulb Thermometer:
Glass-bulb thermometers are hollow glass tubes with a bulb tip containing liquid such as ethanol or mercury. Historically, glass bulb mercury thermometers were the standard device to measure body temperature. Today, mercury thermometers are prohibited in many countries due to the hazardous effects of mercury and the risk of exposure if the glass bulb breaks. In general,...
Temperature Measurement Sites01:14

Temperature Measurement Sites

A thermometer measures body temperature. The common sites for measuring body temperature are the oral cavity, axillary region, temporal artery, and skin surface, such as the forehead, abdomen, and axilla. True core body temperature is assessed in the rectum, tympanic membrane, pulmonary artery, esophagus, and urinary bladder.
Oral: When assessing oral temperature, the thermometer tip should be placed under the tongue in the posterior sublingual pocket. It offers accurate readings and can be...
Calorimetry01:19

Calorimetry

When objects at different temperatures are placed in contact with each other but isolated from everything else, they attain thermal equilibrium. A container that prevents heat transfer in or out is called a calorimeter, and the use of a calorimeter to make measurements is called calorimetry. Generally, these measurements involve heat or specific heat capacity. The term "calorimetry problem" is used for any problem where the specified objects are thermally isolated from their surroundings. An...