Archives of disease in childhood
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Cooling is known to prolong survival in newborn animals when used before the onset of asphyxia. It has therefore been advocated as a treatment for birth asphyxia in humans. Since it is not possible to cool a human baby before the onset of birth asphyxia, experiments were designed to test the effect of cooling after asphyxia had already started. ⋯ After deliver they were placed in environmental temperatures of either 37 degrees C, 20 degrees C, or 0 degrees C and observed for spontaneous recovery. The animals who were cooled survived less often than those kept at 37 degrees C. The results of these experiments suggest that hypothermia has little to offer in the treatment of birth asphyxia in humans.