Effect of trunk-to-head bathing on physiological responses in newborns.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of trunk-to-head bathing versus the traditional head-to-trunk bathing on newborns' body temperature, heart rate, and oxygen saturation.

DESIGN

A prospective, two-group, quasi-experimental repeated measures design.

SETTING

A newborn nursery in an urban university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Sixty-two healthy full-term newborns.

METHODS

Newborns were randomly assigned to two groups. The newborns in the experimental group were bathed from trunk to head; those in the control group were bathed from head to trunk. Measurements of body temperature, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were obtained at four time points: before the bath, immediately after the bath, 30 minutes after the bath, and 60 minutes after the bath.

RESULTS

No significant differences in body temperature, heart rate, or oxygen saturation were observed between groups. However, body temperature was significantly different across measurement times, and there was a significant interaction between group and measurement time. The mean body temperature dropped 0.2°C after bathing in both groups, but the experimental group returned to their initial body temperature more rapidly than the control group.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that newborns who were bathed from trunk to head and whose heads were wet for shorter periods of time benefited with a more rapid recovery of body temperature and decreased heat loss due to evaporation.