Abstract In Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) the estimative of risk of morbidity and mortality in preterm infants is important for clinical decisions and management. The temperature at ward admission is known as an important factor to predict outcome. VLBW infants have lower temperatures at NICU admission many times due to their need of resuscitation measures at birth. The lower their temperature at adimission the higher the SNAP-PE II score, that has a good predictive value in NICUs. Many clinical decisions, as early enteral feeding, assess these scores, often alone.

Objectives Evaluate the accuracy of the body temperature as an outcome predictor for VLBW infants in NICU.

Methods A retrospective study was carried out, using database. We evaluated 378 patients, VLBW infants born in our service, during the period January 2008 to December 2012. The exclusion criteria was major malformations. For analysis were performed "chi-square test" and Student’s t-test.

Results and conclusions The results, after we analysed 378 patients, demonstrated the lower the temperature at the admission at NICU the worst outcome. The group with lower temperatures had lower birth weight and gestacional age and need of intensive neonatal ressuscitation at birth.