Neonatal thermoregulation

Thermoregulation is the ability to balance between heat production and heat loss in order to maintain body temperature within a certain normal range. The provision of a thermoneutral environment is an essential component of the immediate and longer term care of newborn infants. Cold stress and hyperthermia may have serious metabolic consequences for all newborns. In the preterm these consequences may be devastating and may increase both morbidity and mortality rates. Health professionals have a responsibility to be aware of and to ensure that the thermoregulatory needs of the infant are upheld in order to provide them with the best start possible. Current medical literature lacks well designed, prospective, randomized controlled trials for both diagnosis and intervention of providing thermoneutral environment and systematic reviews report that none of the interventions have serious adverse effects.