Severe hypothermia in infants.

In countries with low socio-economical conditions and cold winters, life threatening hypothermia in newborns and infants represents a frequent medical emergency. In such a country, during a particularly cold winter, 38 infants with rectal temperature of less than 33 degrees C were admitted to hospital. With the usually recommended method of progressive rewarming, lethality was very high (70%). However, with a method of quick core and external rewarming, the death rate decreased to 33%.