Central to peripheral temperature differences in full-term neonates delivered vaginally and by cesarean section during the first two hours of life

We measured the central and peripheral temperatures and physiological functions in 71 healthy, full-term neonates delivered vaginally or by cesarean section during the first 2 hours of life. The post-delivery care and warming method were similar in the two groups. The mean rectal and skin temperatures, rectal-skin temperature difference, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and heart rate were comparable between neonates delivered vaginally and by cesarean section. In neonates delivered vaginally, the skin temperature was positively related to the ambient temperature at 60 min of age. No such relationships were noted for rectal temperatures of neonates delivered vaginally or rectal and skin temperatures of neonates delivered by cesarean section. We conclude that central and peripheral temperatures and central-peripheral temperature differences were comparable in full-term neonates delivered vaginally and by cesarean section during the first 2 hours of life. Vaginally delivered neonates have better-developed vasomotor control than neonates delivered by cesarean section during the immediate postnatal period.