The Effect of Nursing Interventions on Body Temperatures of Infants

Aim: This study planned the intervention and care of term and preterm newborns treated in neonatal intensive care units, including thermoregulation, procedure duration and care with the opening technique of incubator covers.

Method: This non-participatory observational study was conducted between October 2022 and December 2023 with a total of 104 term and preterm newborns who were being treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of S.B.U. Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Diseases and Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. In the study, the Case Report Form prepared by the researcher and based on the research method, dependent/independent variables and inclusion/exclusion criteria was used to collect data. The opening techniques of incubator lids were determined as double intervention window open, single intervention window open and incubator lid fully open. After selected newborns who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria, standardisation was ensured by explaining to the nurse who would provide care and intervention the location of the heat probe (right abdominal region) and that the patient should be in the supine position. The incubator temperature, incubator humidity, body temperature and neonatal intensive care room temperature and humidity before the procedure, the technique of opening the incubator lid during the care delivery phase and the intervention applied were recorded on the Case Report Form. The researcher monitored the duration of the procedure with a chronometer at the beginning of the procedure. Body temperature, incubator temperature.

Inclusion criteria

• In the neonatal intensive care unit,
• History of mature and premature birth (≤37 GH),
• Definitive diagnosis known,
• Newborns treated in a single brand of incubator, as different brands of incubators may vary in opening the lids and heating the incubators according to the characteristics of the incubator.

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosed with asphyxia and receiving therapeutic cooling treatment,
• Within 10 days postoperatively,
• Active fever or a diagnosis of sepsis,
• Intervened under the radiant heater,
• Clinical condition deteriorated during the study period,
• Newborns who are followed and clothed to be placed with their mother.