Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Commonly used in medicine, the word decubitus is used to mean lying down. It is derived from the Latin verb âdecumbereâ meaning to lie down.
The brain regulates metabolism and manages other functions to keep your body temperature within a normal range. But the brain can only do so much, and a host of outside factors can affect your body temperature. Controlling and managing these outside factors is key to maintaining a normal body temperature.
Even full-term and healthy newborns may not be able to maintain their body temperature if the environment is too cold. When babies are cold-stressed, they use energy and oxygen to generate warmth. If skin temperatures drop just one degree from the ideal 97.7Â° F (36.5Â°C), a baby's oxygen use can increase by 10 percent.