Air vs. Cutaneous Control Mode for Preterm Infants ≤ 32 WG in Incubators: Impact on Body Growth and Morbidity

Previous studies have shown that mortality and morbidity in preterm neonates are correlated with the fall in body temperature on admission. Hypothermia can be decreased by reducing body heat losses to the environment. The investigator research hypothesis is that a new calculation of the air temperature in the incubator would promote the newborn infant weight growth from the period between birth and day 10 of life compared to cutaneous mode. The secondary hypotheses assumes a decrease in the side effects usually observed in both morbidity and mortality.

A software is used to calculate the body heat loss (BHL) of each individual preterm infant, and to propose a specific air temperature setting inside the incubator to reduce BHL to zero. This software has been validated in a previous pilot study (Degorre et al. 2015). This study aims to compare the energy costs of providing incubated preterm infants born between 25 and 32 weeks of gestation with homeothermia using either specific individualized air temperature control (ATC) or skin servocontrol (SSC).