Running head: THERMOREGULATION 1

The Nurses Role in Regulating The Neonates Temperature

Lora F. Aquino

Loma Linda University School of Nursing

THERMOREGULATION 2

The Nurses Role in Regulating The Neonates Temperature

Neonatal mortality or death is one of the major causes of concern with newborn all over

the world. Why do infants die at their early stages? There are many causes of neonatal deaths

however maintaning the correct temperature is one of the many challenges that a newborn faces

after transitioning from utero to outside life. Thermoregulation goes hand in hand with the

survivability of an infant and nurses must be equipped with the proper knowledge about the

transition and physiological adaptation that the neonates go through.

An infant loses heat through its skin and respiratory tract to the environment through radiation,

conduction, convection, and evaporation. Fat under the skin acts as an insulator to prevent heat loss;

however, the more prematurely an infant is born, the less fat insulation there will be. It is important to

understand the mechanisms of heat loss so that interventions can be aimed to block the transfer of heat

from the infant to the environment.