Oxygen Consumption of Hyper- and Hypothermic Premature Infants

Abstract

The metabolic effect of hyper- and hypothermia was investigated in premature human infants aged 1 to 18 days. An elevation of body temperature by 1.5 to 2.0[degree]C did not affect basal metabolism. In hypothermic premature infants during rewarming, a rise of 2 to 7[degree]C in body temperature usually had no effect on minimal heat production. In a few premature infants, however, the low basal metabolic rate increased rapidly as body temperature rose over a narrow range and remained thereafter unchanged at this higher level. These results contrast with the general view, that under conditions of severely impaired thermoregulation the rate of O2 consumption is directly related to body temperature.