Vinyl bags prevent hypothermia at birth in preterm infants

Objective. To compare the effect of standard care vs. the use of vinyl bags (Vi-Drape (R) isolation bag) on admission temperature in extremely premature infants = 28 weeks gestational age at birth. Methods. Twenty seven premature infants with similar baseline characteristics were assigned and placed in vinyl bags (n= 14) immediately following delivery without drying or received standard care ( controls, n= 13), including drying and placement under a radiant warmer. Axillary temperature was recorded on admission to the neonatal unit. Results. The average temperature in the vinyl bag group was significantly higher (35.9 +/- 0.13 vs 34.9 +/- 0.24 degrees C, p=0.002). Although the cord blood pH was similar between the two groups (7.33+0.02 in the vinyl bag group and 7.33 +/- 0.01 in the control group), the worst pH in the first 6 hours of life was significantly lower in the control group (7.32 +/- 0.02 vs 7.22 +/- 0.04, p= 0.03). There was a significant increase in maximal oxygen requirement during the first 24h in the control group (82.9 vs 43.3% in the vinyl bag group, p= 0.0004). Conclusion. Vinyl bags prevent heat loss and are a simple and effective intervention in preventing hypothermia in the delivery room and early acidosis in premature infants.