Why do some newborn infants need these protective chambers and what do they do?
Humans are homeothermic – in other words, we’re capable of regulating our own body temperature within a certain range. So too are newborn babies but to a lesser extent. However, some infants -usually those born prematurely – are only able to maintain their body temperature within a very small thermal window.
They have poor heat insulation, a relatively large surface area and a small mass, making it very difficult for them to maintain their core body temperature. A small increase/decrease either side of the ideal can be catastrophic if left unchecked.
The primary task of a neonatal incubator is to maintain an even temperature within an enclosed unit that’s designed to eliminate small eddies that can interfere with overall thermo-neutrality.
Modern, hi-tech incubators will include a servo-control that will regulate the incubator air temperature using a thermistor, a type of resistor whose resistance varies according to heat; this is attached to the baby’s abdomen to monitor body heat. For severely premature neonates (newborns) oxygen may also need to be administered via a nasal cannula tube linked to a control valve within the incubator enclosure.
Read also on other blogs Baby Incubation, NeoNurture: the “Car Parts” Incubator, Infant Electric Incubator