NU 372 Week 3: Newborn Thermoregulation,
Multiple System Failure Questions With
Complete Solutions
newborns are
homeothermic (they attempt to stabilize their
internal or core body temperature with a narrow
range in spite of significant temperature variations
in their environment)
Thermoregulation:
balance between heat loss and heat production
Heat production:
primarily through nonshivering thermogenesis
Neutral thermal environment (NTE)
Thermoregulation:
balance between heat loss and heat production
If the environmental temperature falls below the
lower limits of the baby's neutral thermal
environment the newborn responds with
an increased oxygen consumption in metabolism
which is going to result in a greater heat or heat
production
Overheating
, -Large body surface area
-Limited insulation
-Limited sweating ability
Characteristics Predisposing Newborn to Heat Loss
■Thin skin; blood vessels close to the surface
■Lack of shivering ability; limited stores of
metabolic substrates (glucose, glycogen, fat)
■Limited use of voluntary muscle activity
■Large body surface area relative to body weight
■Lack of subcutaneous fat; little ability to conserve
heat by changing posture
■No ability to adjust own clothing or blankets to
achieve warmth
■Infants cannot communicate that they are too
cold or too warm
Primary heat loss type of infants
Conduction (place blanket down on colder objects
before placing infant)
Mechanisms of Heat Exchange: Conduction
transfer of heat from object to object when the two
objects are in direct contact with each other
(table)
Multiple System Failure Questions With
Complete Solutions
newborns are
homeothermic (they attempt to stabilize their
internal or core body temperature with a narrow
range in spite of significant temperature variations
in their environment)
Thermoregulation:
balance between heat loss and heat production
Heat production:
primarily through nonshivering thermogenesis
Neutral thermal environment (NTE)
Thermoregulation:
balance between heat loss and heat production
If the environmental temperature falls below the
lower limits of the baby's neutral thermal
environment the newborn responds with
an increased oxygen consumption in metabolism
which is going to result in a greater heat or heat
production
Overheating
, -Large body surface area
-Limited insulation
-Limited sweating ability
Characteristics Predisposing Newborn to Heat Loss
■Thin skin; blood vessels close to the surface
■Lack of shivering ability; limited stores of
metabolic substrates (glucose, glycogen, fat)
■Limited use of voluntary muscle activity
■Large body surface area relative to body weight
■Lack of subcutaneous fat; little ability to conserve
heat by changing posture
■No ability to adjust own clothing or blankets to
achieve warmth
■Infants cannot communicate that they are too
cold or too warm
Primary heat loss type of infants
Conduction (place blanket down on colder objects
before placing infant)
Mechanisms of Heat Exchange: Conduction
transfer of heat from object to object when the two
objects are in direct contact with each other
(table)
