The long term objective of this research is to provide valuable information on heat loss and energy expenditure in infants under a variety of environmental and clinical conditions, with the goal of improving neonatal management and decreasing morbidity and mortality.
The specific aims of this research are (1) to modify infrared thermography as a non-invasive, instant and accurate new method of measuring heat loss, and thus energy expenditure in infants, (2) to validate the new method, infrared thermography, by comparing it with an established method of determining energy expenditure in infants, indirect calorimetry, and (3) to determine if differences in energy expenditure are found in infants exposed to drug abuse in utero vs. unexposed infants both during the neonatal period and the first three months of life. Three experiments have been designed to achieve these aims. First, normal newborns (n=25), low birth weight (n=15), and very low birth weight (n=10) infants will be studied using infrared thermography to determine energy expenditure, and radiant, convective, evaporative and conductive heat losses. Heat loss equations will be modified to calculate energy expenditure in infants of varying birth weight and gestational age. Second, energy expenditure will be determined in normal birth weight (n=10), low birth weight incubated (n=10) and non-incubated (n=10), and incubated very low birth weight (n=10) infants by concurrent infrared thermography and indirect calorimetry. This study will determine the validity of infrared thermography to quantify energy expenditure in such infants, which are typical of the hospitalized infant population. Third, energy expenditure will be determined in infants born to drug abusing mothers (n--20) at 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks of life. Energy expenditure will be determined in matched control infants born to drug-free mothers (n--20) paired with drug-exposed infants on the basis of birth weight and gestational age group. Infrared thermography may be a useful clinical and research tool for studying infant heat loss. Its use may result in better infant care, as well as more accurate predictions of infant energy expenditure and thermoregulatory ability. The use of this new technique in an informative study will determine if drug-exposed infants exhibit changes in energy expenditure, an unidentified and important clinical problem.
| Adams, A K; Nelson, R A; Bell, E F et al. (2000) Use of infrared thermographic calorimetry to determine energy expenditure in preterm infants. Am J Clin Nutr 71:969-77 |
