A multicentre study on admission hypothermia in very low-birth weight preterm infants in China: distribution, causes and risk factors

Background Neonatal hypothermia, defined as a temperature < 36.5°C, is a major contributor to neonatal mortality and morbidity. Hypothermia in preterm infants remains a challenge in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for many reasons.Objective To investigate the incidence of admission hypothermia (AH) in very low-birth weight (VLBW) infants in multiple NICUs in Shandong Province, China, and to provide clinical evidence for the implementation of quality improvement practices to reduce the incidence of AH in NICU.Methods This retrospective, observational study was carried out over a period of 12 months, from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. The correlations between hypothermia preventive measures and the incidence of AH were analysed by descriptive statistical methods and a Spearman analysis. The associations between AH and maternal and neonatal variables were tested with bivariate analyses, followed by stepwise logistic regression. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results A total of 1639 in-born infants who were born at a weight less than 1500 g were enrolled in the study on their day of birth. Among them, 1295 VLBW infants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The incidence of AH was 87.9% in VLBW infants among the 28 NICUs. We investigated whether team training and education, such as monthly chart reporting on hypothermia in preterm infants on admission to the NICU, which was associated with 10.7% of all the cases, could decrease the rate of AH. Indeed, transport with a heated transport incubator was associated with 9.3% of the cases. here was a negative correlation between the incidence of AH and the number of quality improvement measures implemented to prevent hypothermia (r= -0.242, p <0.05). A low birth weight, intubation in the delivery room , and a low 5-min Apgar score were significantly associated with AH. Conclusion: The incidence of AH was high. There was a negative correlation between the incidence of AH and the number of quality improvement measures implemented to prevent hypothermia. It is important to monitor for AH in newborns who have a low birth weight, who have a low Apgar score at 5 min and who require intubation in the delivery room.