Thermal insulation in malnourished Jamaican children

ABSTRACT

The mean summed skinfold at 6 sites in 20 malnourished Jamaican children was 24.5mm on admission to hospital and 49.8mm on discharge. Marasmic children initially had thinner skinfolds than children with oedematous malnutrition, and they had a highly significant reduction in total specific thermal insulation. During their first week in hospital there was a significant positive correlation between nocturnal mean rectal temperature in the malnourished children and their skinfold thickness and specific thermal insulation. Similar correlations for daytime rectal temperature were not statistically significant. We conclude that loss of thermal insulation may be of importance in the genesis of hypothermia in the sleeping malnourished child, whose posture and inactivity favour a negative heat balance. (AU)