Heat losses from babies in incubators

Abstract

Simple methods by which the thermal environment provided by an incubator can be measured and analysed into conductive, convective, radiant, and evaporative components have been developed and applied to two commercial incubators working on different principles. Radiant heat losses were found to be considerable unless room temperature was unusually high. It is predicted that a naked newborn premature infant placed in such an incubator with the air at 34° C. (93° F.) will need to increase its oxygen consumption 25% above the basal level to maintain its body temperature at 37° C. if the room temperature is 20° C. (68° F.). The clinical significance of these findings is discussed and various methods of reducing or compensating for these losses are suggested.