Current perspectives on temperature management and hypothermia in low birth weight infants

For more than a century, nurses and physicians have recognized the importance of maintaining the temperature of newborn infants, especially for premature and low birth weight infants. Research has confirmed and elucidated how infants lose heat and what is required to keep them warm. Adverse outcomes associated with hypothermia have been carefully documented. Variations in practice exist and fail to optimize infant outcomes. In this context, the Collaboration for Advancing Pediatric Quality Measures (CAPQuaM) was assigned the task of developing quality measures related to hypothermia and low birth weight infants. This paper integrates a literature review with the CAPQuaM measure development process, and includes original data (qualitative interviews). The authors call for the use of new CAPQuaM measures both to enhance accountability and to improve outcomes for these vulnerable low birth weight infants.