Hypothermia in Babies: Symptoms, Causes, and How to Treat It

As parents, Parents must often be filled with worries about their little ones, including when they find their baby’s body temperature is low. This condition is called hypothermia and should not be underestimated. Hypothermia in babies can be dangerous, even leading to death although cases are rare.

This time, we will discuss the ins and outs of hypothermia in babies, from symptoms to how to treat it.

What is the Normal Body Temperature of a Baby?

Like temperatures in adults, infant temperatures can also fluctuate based on certain factors, such as time of day, activity, and the thermometer used to measure. According to Healthline, the lowest normal temperature for infants is 35.5ºC in the morning and the highest is 37.7ºC in the afternoon. These figures are obtained when measured with an oral thermometer.

However, sometimes oral temperature measurements are less accurate because the thermometer is usually not placed properly under the tongue. Then, when the temperature is measured with a rectal thermometer, the baby’s temperature usually ranges between 36ºC in the morning and 37.9ºC in the afternoon.

This number will also be different when Parents use an axillary thermometer or armpit thermometer. This thermometer is often used because it is easy, although its accuracy level is not as good as a rectal thermometer. 

Measurements using an axillary thermometer usually show a reading at least one degree lower than a rectal temperature.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) , if a baby has a body temperature below 35 degrees when measured using a rectal thermometer, the baby can be said to be experiencing hypothermia. This condition can be dangerous for the baby, even causing death.

Symptoms of Hypothermia in Babies

Newborns and toddlers are more likely to experience hypothermia because they have a larger surface area compared to their body weight and can lose body heat more quickly than older children and adults. WHO recommends slightly different temperature values ​​for the degree of hypothermia in infants:

Severe cold or mild hypothermia: 36.0-36.4ºC Moderate hypothermia: 32.0-35.9ºC Severe hypothermia: <32ºC 

There may be some variation in these temperature values ​​by some researchers. However, these temperature levels can serve as a guideline in assessing the degree of hypothermia in infants and young children.

Because babies and young children still have limited ability to say about the hypothermia they are experiencing, parents, caregivers, and medical personnel will rely heavily on the signs or symptoms of hypothermia experienced by babies. These are the signs, according to the pageMedicine Net: 

Accurate axillary (armpit) or rectal temperature below 36.4ºC Weak cry Low energy levels Sluggish Red and cold skin Cold feeling in the extremities and abdomen Poor appetite Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) Episodes of hypoxia (low blood oxygen levels) or apnea (no breathing) Cardiac arrhythmia

Some infants and children may experience chronic hypothermia and show symptoms:

Weight loss No weight gain Failure to develop physically

Children and adolescents who can communicate have symptoms as described in adults, but may occasionally have a combination of childhood or adult symptoms.

Causes of Hypothermia in Babies

There are various causes of a baby experiencing hypothermia. Usually, this condition is caused by various factors, such as premature birth time , weight, environment, and certain health conditions. Here is a brief explanation of some of the causes of hypothermia in babies, according toHealthline.

1. Premature Birth 

According to a study entitled Elimination of Admission Hypothermia in Preterm Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants by Standardization of Delivery Room Management , babies born at less than 28 weeks of gestation have the highest risk of developing hypothermia.

Shortly after birth in the hospital, if the baby is premature or has a low birth weight, they will be placed in a specially designed crib. The crib has a heat lamp and a heated mattress.

However, when the baby is allowed to go home, there are several tips that can be done to prevent the baby from experiencing hypothermia.

Swaddle the baby with a blanket. Put a hat on the baby’s head Don’t bathe too often, because water that evaporates from the skin can lower body temperature. 2. Low Birth Weight

In addition, the study said, low birth weight is another risk factor. Babies weighing 3.3 pounds (1.5 kilograms) or less are 31 to 78 percent more likely to develop hypothermia after birth than babies with higher birth weights.

Babies born at an early age and babies with low birth weight are at higher risk of hypothermia due to their large surface area to volume ratio. This refers to the fact that babies are small humans so they cannot retain heat within their bodies like older children or adults.

Additional factors that contribute to hypothermia in infants are as follows.

Lack of body fat insulation Still developing nervous system Inability to conduct heat efficiently 3. Cold Birth Environment

Many babies are born with relatively low body temperatures because they are born in cold places. Cold environments can quickly cause a baby’s body temperature to drop. In the hospital, a number of protocols may be implemented to warm the baby, including the following:

Immediately sunbathe the baby after birth to remove the wet and cold amniotic fluid. Place the baby in a bed with a special heater Use a heated mattress and swaddle with blankets. Make direct skin contact between baby and mother/caregiver Do not bathe the baby for at least 12 hours after birth. Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is a condition when the blood sugar level in the baby’s body is very low. Basically, glucose is used by the body to supply energy. There are several causes of babies experiencing hypoglycemia, here are some of them:

Infection Birth defects Health of parents who experience disorders during pregnancy

To help prevent hypoglycemia in babies, there are several specific tips that can be done, namely:

Maintain a healthy diet during pregnancy and follow your doctor’s recommendations for weight gain. Manage and monitor blood sugar regularly during pregnancy if you have diabetes. Give your baby breast milk (ASI) or other food intake regularly. 4. Infection

Several serious infections have been linked to hypothermia in babies, one of which is meningitis. Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the spinal cord. Sometimes meningitis can cause a fever in babies, but in other cases it can cause a lower-than-average body temperature.

In addition, there is also sepsis, which is a dangerous bacterial infection in the blood. Sepsis usually causes low body temperature in babies. In some cases, this condition can cause fever.

Meningitis and sepsis are serious, life-threatening infections. Consult a doctor immediately if your baby has any of the following symptoms:

Pale, clammy skin, and sometimes rashes Poor appetite Rapid breathing A wailing cry Cold hands and feet Hypothermia Risk Factors

In general, the highest risk factor for hypothermia is loss of body heat due to exposure to cold weather or partial or complete immersion of the body in cold water. Examples include:

Not dressing appropriately during cold weather. Walking on a partially frozen body of water (river, lake, pond, or other).

Other risk factors for hypothermia include:

Young people and old people because their bodies do not have the ability to regulate body temperature efficiently. People with mental illness. Having an alcohol or drug problem. People who use certain medications.

Some diseases or medical conditions can reduce the body’s ability to regulate its internal temperature, for example:

Diabetes Spinal cord injury Burns Hypothyroidism Parkinson’s Disease Malnutrition Hypothermia Diagnosis

Medical personnel will usually diagnose hypothermia based on the patient’s medical history and physical examination, most importantly the patient’s core temperature. As previously explained, any core temperature below 35ºC for adults is considered hypothermia – in infants it is considered 36.4ºC.

Most individuals with hypothermia are considered to have a medical emergency, so diagnosis and treatment are initiated immediately. Some patients may develop bradycardia and show abnormalities on an electrocardiogram (ECG).

How to Treat Hypothermia in Babies

Hypothermia in babies is a serious condition. When a baby’s temperature drops below the normal range, their body uses more oxygen in an attempt to create more body warmth. This increase can put a lot of stress on the baby’s body.

In some cases, low body temperature can even cause death, although this is rare. 

A 2010 study conducted in Nepal showed that researchers looked at newborns in the first 72 hours of life and found that those with a body temperature below 34.5ºC were 4.8 times more likely to die within a week of birth than those with a normal temperature.

If you suspect your baby has a low body temperature, the first thing to do is to take his or her temperature. A rectal temperature may be more accurate, but if you don’t have a rectal thermometer, you can use an axillary thermometer. Never use an axillary thermometer in the rectum or vice versa.

If your baby’s temperature is low, try raising it with the following steps.

Adding clothes Hugging to transfer parents’ body heat to the baby Swaddle them with blankets

If these steps do not work and the temperature remains low, take him to the doctor immediately. 

Can Hypothermia in Babies Be Prevented?

Yes, it is very possible, Mom! Here’s how:

Make sure your baby is in good physical condition and supported by appropriate clothing and proper nutrition before engaging in activities in cold weather.  Choose loose and completely dry clothing for your child in cold weather. Remember, rain and wind can significantly increase the rate of heat loss from the body, so if your baby is facing these conditions, you should try to keep him warm and dry. In babies who are at higher risk of hypothermia, during cold weather keep the house warm to around 21.1ºC, especially in the bedroom at night.

Quoting from the pageMSD Manuals, maintaining environmental temperature is the most important step in preventing hypothermia in neonates (newborn babies). WHO recommends that the delivery room temperature be at least 25-28°C and that neonates be dried immediately and that babies receiveskin to skinwith his mother.

Given the various risks caused by hypothermia in infants, parents should always be alert if their baby experiences a drop in temperature. That way, your baby will receive quick and appropriate treatment. Early treatment can help reduce the risk of serious complications in infants.

Hypothermia
https://www.medicinenet.com/hypothermia_extended_exposure_to_cold/article.htm

Identifying and Treating a Low Body Temperature in Babies
https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/baby-temperature-low

Hypothermia
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hypothermia/

Hypothermia in Neonates
https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/pediatrics/perinatal-problems/hypothermia-in-neonates

Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia