Objective: To determine the effect of covering infant incubators on incubator wall and air temperatures, as well as on infant temperatures.
Design: A within-subject ABA design, in which blankets covering the incubators were removed for a 30-minute period and then replaced.
Setting: A neonatal intensive-care unit.
Participants: Eight medically stable infants (gestational age, 28-33 weeks; birth weight, 913-1,947 g; and postnatal age, 2-39 days).
Interventions: Incubator wall and air temperatures as well as infant temperatures were measured during three study conditions: incubators covered (30 minutes), uncovered (60 minutes), and re-covered (30 minutes).
Main outcome measures: Incubator air and wall temperature; infant temperature.
Results: All incubator walls decreased in temperature after being uncovered; the decrease ranged from 0.6-2.2 degrees C.
Conclusion: Although infants maintained relatively stable body temperatures during the uncovered period, the energy cost to their thermoregulatory efforts is unknown.