Infant warmers and incubators are labor and delivery systems used to maintain the ideal body temperature of ill or premature newborn babies. Infant warmers evenly spread heat on the mattress, while incubators create a closed and stable micro-environment basing its heat output on the newborn's skin or air temperature. Both are also designed to allow oxygenation by nasal cannula to prevent infant respiratory distress syndrome. The enclosures of incubators provide additional protection against infection, noise, cold drafts, and excess handling. Modern models can also perform sophisticated measurement of temperature, respiration, cardiac function, and brain activity. Infant warmers and incubators are crucial life support systems so hospitals can provide high level of neonatal treatment in the NICU.
