Authors (including presenting author) :
Cheng PK(1), Po YP(1), Wong HY (1) WOO KM(1), YIP PK (1), Lee WM (1), Li HY (1)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Paediatrics & Aldolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital
Introduction :
Bathing is a basic and necessary care in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) which benefit to neonates in maintaining skin integrity and reduce the risk of infection. On the other hand, bathing may expose premature infants to the risk of hypothermia, and its stress alternate comfort and physiological stabilization. Hypothermia in premature babies can lead to severe clinical consequences, which may prolong hospital length of stay or even death. Different studies were undertaken to identify the optimal bathing method in NICU. Swaddled bathing is supported to be a good practice for bathing a premature infants which can reduce temperature changes and stress level, as well as hospital readmission rate, morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. However, there is still no universal consensus yet due to the unique NICU environment, as well as bathing practice in different clinical settings.
Objectives :
To explore the effectiveness of swaddled bathing on premature infants to enhance temperature stability in both NICU and special care baby unit (SCBU). 1. Compare the temperature changes by swaddled and conventional bathing methods in premature babies. 2. Evaluate the effectiveness of swaddled bathing for enhancing temperature stability in premature neonates. 3. Formulate an evidence-based practice for bathing in premature babies for reducing heat loss.
Methodology :
- A single-blinded clinical trial was performed on selected premature babies hospitalized in NICU and SCBU of Queen Mary Hospital. - The subjects were selected through convenience sampling method. - A crossover design with a washout period of at least 24 hours to at most 96 hours was adopted. - Both experimental swaddled bathing and conventional immersion bathing would be performed in each recruited babies. - The sequence of bathing method would be selected randomly. - Infants’ axillary temperature was measured 10 minutes before, immediately after bath and 10 minutes after bath. The temperature changes before and after bath in both group were compared. - The data collection tool include a data recording form (to record the demographic characteristic of the recruited infants) and a temperature recording form. - The temperature differences of each bathing method were compared by paired sample t-test generated by SPSS. - The significance level was accepted as p-value < 0.05.
Result & Outcome :
- Swaddled bathing demonstrated the reduction in body temperature drop in premature infants in the clinical trial. - Larger scale studies, recruiting infants with smaller gestational age and birth weight, would be carried out to confirm the finding before formulating the evidence-based practice.
