PROFILE OF NEONATES WITH FEVER ADMITTED IN NICU OF A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL: A STUDY TO FIND EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEAT ON NEONATALAETIOLOGY OF FEVER

Background: Fever in the neonates generally indicate systemic infections but one more emerging cause towards fever in the neonatal period is the escalating environmental temperature and humidity. The present study was carried out to find out various causes of fever in neonates and to study various factors associated with the effect of environmental heat on neonatal hyperthermia. Methods: A prospective record based cross-sectional study was carried out on neonates with body temperature >100oF during the summer months at a tertiary care teaching hospital. The Study was approved by the institutional review board and data was collected after informed written consent of the parent/guardian. Results: From the total 319 neonatal admissions, a total of 51 neonates were meeting the inclusion criteria and 37(72.5%) neonates were diagnosed as having environmental hyperthermia. As the daily maximum temperature and the risk category due to heat wave increases from normal to orange, there are higher proportion of total neonates with environmental hyperthermia. Conclusion: Environmental hyperthermia is found to be the most common cause of hyperthermia in neonates during the summer months at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Neonate are at the higher risk of developing environmental hyperthermia as the daily maximum environmental temperature rises and the heat wave risk category increases.