Clonidine is known to impair cold defence mechanisms by decreasing thermoregulatory thresholds. Thus, clonidine might contribute to perioperative hypothermia during minor paediatric surgery. This study was designed to investigate the influence of intravenous or epidural clonidine on perioperative core temperature in children. A total of 23 children undergoing minor inguinal or genital surgery under combined general and caudal anaesthesia were randomly assigned to 3 groups: caudal clonidine (1-3 mu g kg(-1)), intravenous clonidine (3 mu g kg(-1)) and a control group without clonidine. Neither caudal nor intravenous application of clonidine significantly affected core temperature. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.