Temperature instability in infants with trisomy 21 in the neonatal intensive care unit

Down syndrome and the autonomic nervous system, an educational review for the anesthesiologist

“…5 However, the impact of autonomic function on vasomotor tone, and therefore temperature, has been suggested in reports of children with Down syndrome and cutis marmorata, post-anesthetic livedo reticularis and culture-negative fever following infant cardiac surgery. [5][6][7] Both skin conditions arise from altered cutaneous vasomotor control.…”

“…Infants and adults with Down syndrome are more prone to hypothermia and have lower resting and post‐exercise body temperatures than those without Down syndrome. Surma and colleagues explain that temperature instability may be due to hypothalamic dysfunction, subclinical hypothyroidism, and dysregulated vascular tone, but do not directly implicate the autonomic nervous system 5 . However, the impact of autonomic function on vasomotor tone, and therefore temperature, has been suggested in reports of children with Down syndrome and cutis marmorata, post‐anesthetic livedo reticularis and culture‐negative fever following infant cardiac surgery 5–7 .…”

“…Surma and colleagues explain that temperature instability may be due to hypothalamic dysfunction, subclinical hypothyroidism, and dysregulated vascular tone, but do not directly implicate the autonomic nervous system. 5 However, the impact of autonomic function on vasomotor tone, and therefore temperature, has been suggested in reports of children with Down syndrome and cutis marmorata, post-anesthetic livedo reticularis and culture-negative fever following infant cardiac surgery. [5][6][7] Both skin conditions arise from altered cutaneous vasomotor control.…”