In a message dated 3/28/04 9:34:15 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
I had heard this possibility too.  I think it was in a talk by Gene
Anderson.  What I recall was that while mom's skin temperature not
only rises if baby's goes down, but it will go down if baby's skin
temp goes too far up.  Dad's body only responds by raising the skin
temp, but doesn't provide the reverse regulation.  It was pointed
out that when baby starts to get "too warm" dads will often hand
baby off to mom or whoever, saying that it's getting uncomfortable
for him.  If this phenomenon is true, then we need to let dads know
this is normal.

I heard Susan Ludington speak at the 1999 LLLI conference. If I recall
correctly, she said the research had found that Mom's core body temp adjusts up or
down based on baby's temp, but Dad's just keeps going up. So Dad's usually can
provide KC for about an hour before baby could overheat. This is supportive
from a PubMed search:

Ludington-Hoe SM, Hashemi MS, Argote LA, Medellin G, Rey H (1992). Selected
physiologic measures and behavior during paternal skin contact with Colombian
preterm infants. J Dev Physiol, 18(5), 223-32.

A descriptive study of eleven healthy preterm infants was conducted in which
cardiorespiratory (heart and respiratory rates, oxygen saturation), thermal
(abdominal, toe and tympanic temperatures) and state behavior responses to two
hours of paternal skin-to-skin contact within the first 17 hours of birth in
Colombia, South America were evaluated. Infant physiologic and behavioral state
measures were recorded each minute as was paternal skin temperature and
behavior. Infant heart and respiratory rates increased during paternal contact as
did abdominal and core temperatures. Fathers were able to keep their infants
sufficiently warm, and five infants became hyperthermic (tympanic temperature
greater than 37.5 degrees C) despite cooling measures while being held in this
climate. Infants slept most of the time while being held and fathers seldom
gazed at, spoke to, or touched their infants while holding them. When mothers are
unavailable, fathers may be an alternate source of warmth and comfort to
infants.

KKG

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