Singapore Med J 2005; 46(8) : 387
Departments of
Paediatrics and
Obstetrics and
Gynaecology
Hospital Universiti
Kebangsaan
Malaysia
Jalan Yaacob Latif
Cheras
56000 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
N Y Boo, MRCP,
FRCPE, FRCPG
Professor
S Selvarani, BNSc
Head Nurse
Correspondence to:
Professor Nem Yun Boo
Tel: (60) 6767 7798
Fax: (60) 6767 7709
Email: nyboo@
imu.edu.my
Effectiveness of a simple heated water-
filled mattress for the prevention and
treatment of neonatal hypothermia
in the labour room
N Y Boo, S Selvarani
ABSTRACT
Introduction: This study aimed to determine the
proportions of normothermic infants who remained
normothermic, and hypothermic infants who
became normothermic following the use of
a heated water-filled mattress (HWM) in the
labour room.
Methods: A prospective observational study
carried out in the labour room over a 2.5 month
period on 228 well term infants delivered by
lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) in the
operating theatre (environmental temperature
18 degrees Celsius). Upon arrival in the labour
room, the infants were placed on a HWM in
a nursing cot. The axillary temperature was
measured using a mercury thermometer for
three minutes. Each infant was then wrapped
with a large piece of linen, and covered with a
blanket. Just before transfer to postnatal wards,
the axillary temperature was re-measured.
Results: 52.2 percent (119/228) of infants were
hypothermic (temperature less than 36.5 degrees
Celsius) upon arrival in the labour room. Before
leaving the labour room, the median increase in
axillary temperature of the initially hypothermic
infants was significantly higher (0.2 degrees
Celsius, interquartile range 0.5) than those
initially normothermic infants (0.0 degrees
Celsius, interquartile range 0.3) (p-value is less
than 0.00001). Among the initially hypothermic
infants, 40.3 percent (48/119) became normothermic
before transfer to postnatal wards. The significant
independent risk factors associated with persistent
hypothermia were lower birthweight (p-value
equals 0.02), lower gestation