INFLUENCE OF VARIATIONS IN THE AMBIENT HUMIDITY ON SKIN TEMPERATURE OF LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT (LBW) INFANTS

Background: In a group of 8 LWB infants we tried to investigate the influence of different levels of rel. humidity inside the incubator on rectal and skin temperature and on the pattern of temperature distribution over the body surface. Method: In low (45 rel%) and high (83 rel.%) incubator humidity we measured rectal temperature and, using infrared telethermography, skin temperatures at 12 different sites of the body. Results: After increasing ambient humidity mean skin temperature rose significantly (p < 0.01) from 35.87 to 36-10 degrees C. The pattern of temperature distribution also changed with increasing humidity, showing pronounced warming of the periphery. Rectal temperature did not change significantly. Conclusion: With rising ambient humidity skin temperature increase in LBW infants, and the distribution of surface temperature becomes more even.