CCRN Neonatal Practice Test

Neonates have limited ability to regulate their own temperature, so keeping them at a normal body temperature avoids a high heat-producing stress on the body. When a baby becomes cold, the body ramps up metabolic activity to generate warmth, which sharply increases glucose use and oxygen demand. Because newborns often have limited glycogen stores and immature metabolic control, this cold stress can quickly lead to hypoglycemia. Cold stress also slows enzymatic reactions involved in the coagulation cascade and can impair platelet function, raising the risk of coagulopathy. By maintaining normothermia, you minimize energy expenditure, preserve glucose and substrate balance, and support stable acid-base and coagulation status, reducing the risk of serious morbidity. In practice, this is achieved through effective heat conservation and neutral-thermal environments, such as drying and warming the infant promptly, skin-to-skin contact when possible, and appropriate incubator or radiant warmer support.