Delivery room preparation should include which of the following to minimize thermal losses?

• A. Prewarm resuscitation room, bed, and linens
• B. Increase humidity in the room
• C. Prewarm only the bed
• D. Warm the resuscitation equipment only

Answer: (A)

Maintaining the newborn’s temperature right after birth is crucial because infants lose heat quickly through multiple pathways. Heat loss occurs via evaporation when the baby is dried, convection from room air, conduction from contacting cold surfaces, and radiation to cooler surroundings. Prewarming the resuscitation room, bed, and linens reduces the temperature gradient and eliminates cold surfaces that would siphon heat, helping the infant stay warmer during stabilization. While increasing humidity might slightly reduce evaporative loss, it doesn’t address heat loss from all surfaces, and warming only the bed or only the equipment leaves other sources of cooling in place. So, warming the room, the bed, and the linens provides the most effective protection against thermal loss.