Effects of acute hypoxia on heat production capacity in newborn lambs

Severe hypoxia during birth results in a metabolic acidosis and depressed heat production capacity. The aetiology of the depressed heat production capacity is unknown. To investigate this problem newborn lambs were exposed to a 30 minute period of hypoxia by causing them to breathe room air diluted with nitrogen. Heat production capacity was subsequently estimated as summit metabolic rate. When summit metabolic rate was estimated at the end of the period of hypoxia a depression to 66 per cent of the control value was observed (P