Total body polyethylene wraps for preventing hypothermia in preterm infants: a randomized trial.

Objective To evaluate whether a polyethylene total body wrapping (covering both the body and head) is more effective than conventional treatment (covering up to the shoulders) in reducing perinatal thermal losses in very preterm infants. Study design This was a multicenter, prospective, randomized, parallel 1:1, unblinded, controlled trial of infants Results One hundred randomly allocated infants (50 in the total body group and 50 controls) completed the study. Mean axillary temperature on neonatal intensive care unit admission was similar in the two groups (36.5 ± 0.6°C total body vs 36.4 ± 0.8°C controls; P  = .53). The rate of moderate hypothermia (temperature P  = .41). Three subjects in each group (6.0%) had an axillary temperature >37.5°C on admission, and one subject in control group had an axillary temperature >38°C. Conclusion Total body wrapping is comparable with covering the body up to the shoulders in preventing postnatal thermal losses in very preterm infants.