Slide NH-2, 3 If left untreated, mild hypothermia could worsen and body temperature could drop below 90 degrees and becomes moderate hypothermia. Consequences of neonatal hypothermia in low-resource settings. What are the potential consequences of hypothermia in a newborn baby? NNF Teaching Aids:Newborn Care Hypothermia in newborn Slide NH-l Newborn baby is a homoeothermic, but his ability to stay warm may easily be overwhelmed by extremes of environmental temperatures. Hypothermia in Newborn. The dangers of hypothermia in a newborn baby are many. Teaching Aids: NNF NH- 3 Why are newborns prone to develop hypothermia Hypothermia may be caused by environmental factors, disorders that impair thermoregulation (eg, sepsis, intracranial hemorrhage, drug withdrawal), or a combination. Risk factors for hypothermia include delivery in an area with an environmental temperature below the recommended levels, maternal hypertension, cesarean delivery, and low Apgar scores. Maintaining an appropriate environmental temperature is the most important step in preventing hypothermia in neonates. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the delivery room temperature be at least 25 to 28° C (77.0 to 82.4° F) and that neonates be dried immediately and placed in skin-to-skin contact with the mother and covered. Teaching Aids: NNF NH- 2 Hypothermia • Significant problem in neonates at birth and beyond • Mortality rate twice in hypothermic babies • Contributes to significant morbidity & mortality. We are interested in studies where patients have been divided into those exposed to hypothermia intraoperatively and those not exposed. Definition of hypothermia The purpose of this review is to allow a link to be made between the prevention of hypothermia and the prevention of adverse consequences associated with hypothermia. A number of the hospital- and community-based studies described above have also examined case-fatality rates between those babies with and without hypothermia, and concluded that the risk of mortality is higher among those exposed (Table 3). Moderate/Severe Hypothermia . If you are concerned about a new-born infant being too cold, then it is imperative that you learn about the dangers of hypothermia to the baby. Shivering stops as the body switches from using energy as a source of heat to conserving energy in the face of cold exposure. Neonatal hypothermia often due to lack of attention by health care providers continues to be a very important cause of neonatal deaths.