Euthermia in Stable Preterm Babies: 'Cocooning' for Warmth! - A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Very preterm babies, after their initial need for rigorous supports, remain in intensive care units for maintaining euthermia. We compared proportion of 'hypothermia OR hyperthermia episodes(HHE)'; physiological instability events; and weight gain in stable preterm babies between 29 and 32 weeks nursed in Cocoon warmer (CW) vs. servo-controlled Radiant warmer(RW) in the intervals between kangaroo mother care. Sixty-six babies were randomized to CW and 59 to RW; number of temperature recordings over 24 h in CW were 1417 and 1271 in RW. HHE were comparable in RW (4.64%) and CW (5.15%); RR 1.1(0.79-1.55), p = 0.6. The combined incidence of physiological instability events was less in CW than RW [(RR 0.49 (0.25-0.97), p = 0.06]. Mean weight gain was similar, being 13.4 ± 6.1 g/day in CW and 12.8 ± 4.9 g/day in RW (p = 0.55). CW was comparable to RW in thermoregulation of hospitalized stable preterm babies.