Randomised study regarding the site of temperature probe placement in very preterm infants at birth

The intervention being studied is the best position on the skin for the temperature probe to be placed at the time of birth for preterm infants 23-31+6 weeks gestation. This study examines the placement of a skin temperature probe at the time of birth to determine the best position for monitoring and maintaining the infant's temperature before the baby is admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The skin temperature probe is a thin wire device that is placed on the skin of the baby and covered with a 2-3cm reflective sticker. The temperature probe attaches to the resuscitation bed and controls the heater output of the resuscitation bed based on the infant's temperature to achieve a desired temperature of 37.0'C. The temperature probe is applied to the infant's skin by a trained neonatal nurse, who is present at the time of the infant's birth, when the infant is placed on the resuscitation bed (within the first two minutes of the infant's life) and remains on the infant until admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care unit, which occurs approximately 20-30 minutes after birth. The intervention group will have the temperature probe placed on the left upper back at the time of birth. The temperatures are compared with the admission temperature taken by a digital thermometer, placed in the armpit, on admission to the NICU to determine if one site is better than the other.