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COLD INJURY OF THE NEWBORN IN AUSTRALIA A STUDY OF 31 CASES
Author(s) -
Jackson R.,
Yu J. S.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1973.tb76505.x
Subject(s) - lethargy , medicine , vomiting , hypothermia , abnormality , pediatrics , pallor , disease , bronchopneumonia , surgery , anesthesia , psychiatry
Despite the temperate climate of Sydney, 31 cases of infantile hypothermia were seen from 1961 to 1972. The majority of these infants presented in the winter months and the average age of presentation in the group was higher than that seen in colder regions. One–third of the babies died, making this condition a significant problem in infancy. Fourteen of the babies were born more than two weeks prematurely. The commonest clinical features were coldness to touch, slowness or refusal to eat, lethargy or drowsiness, cyanosis and vomiting. Coldness to touch and cyanosis were the most important specific features of this disease. Treatment consisted of slow rewarming in a humidicrib, with correction of any biochemical imbalances. Thirty–two per cent of the babies died, although on their admission to hospital these showed no differences in symptoms and signs from those who survived. Post–mortem examination revealed bronchopneumonia, pulmonary haemorrhage and congestion of most other organs. The follow–up study suggested that those babies who survived showed no neurological abnormality which could be attributed to the hypothermia.