A nurse is caring for a preterm newborn who is in an incubator to maintain a neutral thermal environment. The father of the newborn asks the nurse why this is necessary.
Which of the following responses should the nurse make?
A.
“Preterm newborns have a smaller body surface area than normal newborns”
B.
“Preterm newborns lack adequate temperature control mechanisms”
C.
“The heat in the incubator rapidly dries the sweat of preterm newborns”
D.
“The added brown fat layer in preterm newborn reduces his ability to generate heat” .
The correct answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is:
B. “Preterm newborns lack adequate temperature control mechanisms.”
Explanation:
Preterm newborns, also known as premature infants, are born before 37 weeks of gestation. Their early birth means that their bodies have not yet fully developed the physiological mechanisms necessary to maintain a stable internal temperature. One crucial mechanism for temperature regulation in newborns is the ability to generate and retain body heat, which is significantly compromised in preterm infants.
Key Points:
- Inadequate Temperature Regulation: Preterm infants have underdeveloped thermoregulatory systems. This means they cannot regulate their body temperature effectively through mechanisms like shivering or adjusting blood flow to the skin. Their bodies lack the ability to generate adequate heat and respond to temperature changes as well as full-term infants.
- Reduced Brown Fat: Brown adipose tissue (brown fat) is crucial for thermogenesis (heat production). Full-term infants have a sufficient amount of brown fat, which helps them produce heat to maintain body temperature. Preterm infants, however, have less brown fat, reducing their ability to generate warmth.
- Small Body Size and Surface Area: Although preterm infants have a larger surface area relative to their body weight compared to term infants, this is not the primary reason for their need for a controlled environment. The increased surface area does contribute to faster heat loss, but the fundamental issue is their impaired ability to generate and regulate heat.
- Heat Loss and Incubators: Incubators are designed to provide a controlled thermal environment that helps maintain the newborn’s body temperature. This environment helps prevent hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature) which can lead to serious complications for preterm infants, including metabolic instability and respiratory problems.
In summary, preterm newborns are placed in incubators primarily because they lack the physiological mechanisms needed to maintain their body temperature, which makes them highly susceptible to temperature fluctuations.