Objective:

To analyze the temperature pattern of low birth weight newborns admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Methodology:

This is a cross-sectional and quantitative study conducted in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a maternity hospital in Northeastern Brazil. The sample consisted of 45 low birth weight, very low birth weight or extremely low birth weight newborns admitted to the unit.

Results:

At admission, we obtained an axillary temperature average of 34.98ºC with a standard deviation of 1.12. The hypothermia rate at the time of admission was considerably severe, so that in the first hour, with 06 hours and with 12 hours of hospitalization, the percentages of hypothermic newborns (<36.5ºC) were respectively: 93.33%, 73.33 % and 57.78%.

Conclusion:

We found flaws in the processes when it comes to thermoregulation, given that almost the entire sample arrives with potential cold stress.

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