THE INFLUENCE OF INCUBATOR AIR TEMPERATURE ON THE RESPIRATORY RESPONSES OF PRETERM INFANTS (NEUROBEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT, APNEA, NEURAL ORGANIZATION).
Contributors: University of Washington.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 229
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Human Development.
Description: The adaptive capacities of the preterm infant are severely restricted by maturational limitations. Two cardinal life requirements facing the preterm infant are maintenance of respiration and maintenance of body temperature. The primary aim of nursing care is modification of the environment to match the adaptive capabilities of the preterm infant. The literature has indicated a relationship between incubator air temperature and respiratory instability in the preterm infant. The purpose of this study was to describe the incubator thermal environment of the preterm infant and to identify patterns of relationships between the infant's respiratory rate and thermal factors. Eight preterm infants (gestational age 29 to 33 weeks; postnatal age 4 to 9 days) were studied using an intensive within-subject design. Respiratory rate was measured by a carbon dioxide spectrophotometry respiratory monitor which sampled expired air. Infant abdominal skin temperature and incubator ambient air temperature were measured by thermistors and incubator radiant temperatures was measured using a globe thermometer. A computerized data acquisition system continuously digitalized and recorded respiratory rate as well as incubator and infant temperatures. Data were collected at 30 second intervals over an 8-hour period. Data were analyzed using spectral analysis, autocorrelation and cross-correlation. Air temperature demonstrated cyclicity which was due to the incubator operation. A strong coherence was found between respiration and air temperature. The strength of this relationship varied directly with gestational age, suggesting that increased maturation and neurobehavioral organization facilitated responsivity to thermal simulation.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-04, Section: B, page: 1492.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, 1986.

School code: 0250.