Factors influencing the body temperature of 3-4 month old infants at home during the day

Article Abstract:

The rectal temperature of infants between three to four months old changes according to a specific pattern during the night. This pattern of rectal temperature change is not affected by the room temperature or thermal insulation of clothing and wrapping, indicating the capacity of the infant for thermoregulation, the internal control of body temperature. The temperature changes appear to be related to the time the child goes to sleep rather than to the actual time of day. The observed decrease in rectal temperature at night may result from sleeping and may not represent a true circadian, or 24-hour, rhythm. Babies of this age sleep during the day for periods that may be as long as short nighttime sleeps, and the relation between sleeping and rectal temperature can be assessed. In addition, babies may be fed before nighttime sleeps but not before daytime sleeps, and the effects of feeding on rectal temperature can also be evaluated. Rectal temperature was recorded in 40 normal infants aged three to four months throughout two days of normal activity. Temperature varied between 36 degrees C at night and 37.8 degrees C during active periods of the day. The temperature at the rectum decreases during daytime sleep, but this reduction is smaller and shorter than that during nighttime sleep. Feeding raised rectal temperature when the baby was awake and lessened the reduction in rectal temperature during sleep. Bottle feeding was more rapid than breastfeeding in affecting rectal temperature. The effects of sleep and feeding on rectal temperature were not influenced by room temperature or thermal insulation of clothing and wrapping. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation, Circadian rhythms

---

Rectal temperature of normal babies the night after first diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus immunisation

Article Abstract:

The rectal temperature of babies, aged three to four months, changes according to a pattern during the night. This pattern of temperature change is maintained despite variations in room temperature, clothing, and wrapping, indicating the baby's capacity for thermoregulation, or internal control of body temperature. However, the effects of changes in the baby, such as the development of infection, on the pattern of change in rectal temperature are not known. Most babies receive their first diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) vaccination at three to four months. The effect of a standard dose of this infective agent on the rectal temperature of 32 infants was assessed. The rectal temperature was recorded before and after the babies' first DPT vaccination. The results show that immunization disturbs the normal nighttime rhythm of deep body temperature the night after immunization. The average rectal temperature of immunized babies was higher than that of nonimmunized babies two hours into the night. Individual babies varied in the degree of disturbance of night temperature rhythm, and variations were not related to the temperature of the environment. These mild physiological changes in response to immunization do not appear to be harmful. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Physiological aspects, DPT vaccine, Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccines

---

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Development of night time temperature rhythms over the first six months of life. Disturbed nights and 3-4 month infants: the effects of feeding and thermal environment
• Abstracts: Development of systemic lupus erythematosus after interferon therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia. Interferon-alpha produces sustained cytogenetic responses in chronic myelogenous leukemia
• Abstracts: The effect of palliative radiation therapy on epidural compression due to metastatic malignant melanoma. part 2
• Abstracts: Lack of effect of induced menses on symptoms in women with premenstrual syndrome. Neuropsychiatric effects of anabolic steroids in male normal volunteers
• Abstracts: Neonatal herpes simplex virus infection in relation to asymptomatic maternal infection at the time of labor. part 2

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.