TRANSEPIDERMAL WATER LOSS IN NEWBORN INFANTS

Abstract

To investigate whether sweating and cutaneous vasodilatation, induced by a warm environment, are inhibited by central cold-stimulation, the evaporation rate and skin blood flow were studied by noninvasive techniques before and after the feeding of cold glucose to 17 full-term appropriate for gestational age infants (born by elective Caesarean section) on their 1st day after birth. In newborn infants who were visibly sweating and had an increased skin blood flow at a body temperature above 37.1.degree. C, such central cold-stimulation quickly inhibited sweating and decreased skin blood flow. In infants with almost the same body temperature but with no sweating, this stimulation caused no change in evaporation rate or skin blood flow. The regulation of body temperature in full-term newborn infants can thus be disturbed by central cold-stimulation, resulting in a decreased heat loss to the environment even though the body temperature is elevated.