Analyzing Journal “Plastic Bags to Prevent Hypothermia in Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants†as Viewed in Transcultural Nursing Practice

Abstract

This article analyzes journal related to hypothermia in neonates, which is a serious problem in both developed and developing countries. Heat loss through evaporation is the main cause of hypothermia in newborns during the first 30 minutes of life. There have been many studies regarding the use of plastic bags or polyethylene which is estimated to be able to reduce heat loss through evaporation, IWL, and metabolic requirements for heat production. Journal essence: Laying premature infants or LBW on plastic bags at birth compared to standard thermoregulation treatments can reduce the incidence of hypothermia without causing hypothermia, it is cheap, and does not require modern equipment. Discussion: Safety and effectiveness of using plastic bags have been tested to prevent hypothermia during neonatal resuscitation at LBW. There were no differences in axillary temperature or incubator temperature in the two groups that used plastic bags with or without previous drying.Recommendation: The culture of using plastic bag in Indonesia needs to be reduced. Plastic bag can be more useful to prevent hypothermia. Keywords: Plastic bag, hypothermia, preterm, transcultural nursing