Effects of Warming Practices and Wearing Synthetic Polyester Woolen Hats on Hypothermia in Full-Term Infants at the Delivery Unit, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Hypothermia is a serious risk factor for newborn infants, therefore this study aimed to investigate the effects of warming practices and wearing of polyester woollen hats on the incidence of hypothermia in newborn infants.

Methods: This is a study of the practice of creating warmth and wearing synthetic polyester woolen hats on the occurrence of hypothermia in term infants at the delivery room unit, Srinagarind Hospital. The research design was a quasi-experimental research with 2 independent groups. The post-experimental measurements were made. The sample consisted of 50 term infants, divided into a control group and an experimental group, 25 in each group. The control group received a plain 2-layer woolen hat with normal nursing care. The experimental group received a 2-layer woolen hat with polyester synthetic fibers sewn on the inside of the hat with normal nursing care. The woolen hat was worn from the 3^rd to the 120^th minute after birth. Body temperature was measured at 10, 30, 60, and 120 minutes. Data were analyzed as follows: Testing for differences in general data by count and percentage. The statistics used to compare the differences between the 2 groups were Pearson chi-squared test and Fisher’s Exact test. The distribution of data was tested with Shapiro-Wilk test. It was found that each group of data was not normally distributed. Therefore, the data did not pass the initial agreement. Consider using generalized estimating equations or GEE statistics to test the difference in temperature of full-term newborns by comparing the body temperature of newborns between the two groups, which had 4 repeated measurements. The data were presented as numbers and percentages. The test statistic was generalized estimating equation; GEE). The variance estimation was set to Robust. For pairwise comparisons (multiple comparison), the Bonferroni-adjusted method was used.

Results: Gestational age at delivery was between 37+^0/7 -39+^6/7 weeks, 84.00 percent; Cesarean section was 68.00 per­cent; between 3,001-3,500 grams, 56.00 percent; Apgar score at minutes 1, 5, and 10 were 8-10 points, 100 percent. When comparing the delivery outcomes, including gestational age at delivery, delivery method, newborn weight, Apgar scorer, it was found that there was no difference (p>.05). The occurrence of hypothermia in both the control and experimental groups was 4.00 and 16.00 percent at minute 10, 8.00 and 4.00 percent at minute 30, respectively. There was no hypothermia at minute 60 and 120. The mean body temperature between the control and experimental groups measured at minutes 10, 30, 60, and 120 were not statistically significant (p>.05). At minute 10, the experimental group had a mean body temperature that was 0.044 degrees Celsius lower than the control group. At minute 30 and minute 60, the experimental group had a mean body temperature that was 0.064 degrees Celsius and 0.04 degrees Celsius higher than the control group, respectively. At minute 120, the experimental group had a mean body temperature that was 0.06 degrees Celsius lower than the control group.

Conclusion: The practice of warming and wearing a polyester knitted hat increased the mean body temperature of term infants at 10, 30, 60 and 120 minutes. The incidence of hypothermia decreased at 30 minutes. At 60 and 120 minutes, no hypothermia was found in term infants. Although the results were not statistically significant, compliance with the guidelines warming practices and wearing of a polyester woollen hat provided warmth and increased temperature in newborns within the first 2 hours after birth.