A Study on Oxygen Saturation, Vital Signs, and Vomiting by Routine Suctioning to Healthy Newborns at Nursery

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to confirm the effect of routine suctioning at a nursery for healthy newborns who have undergone immediate oronasopharyngeal bulb suctioning after birth in a delivery room through the observation of their oxygen saturation level, heart rate, respiration rate, the vomiting sign, and the number of instances of vomiting. Methods: Data were collected for 62 days from March 15 to May 15, 2009 at the nursery of a hospital located in Seoul. One hundred forty newborns were assigned to one of three groups: a no suction group, an oropharyngeal suction group, or a orogastric suction group. Collected data were analyzed with the SPSS WIN 15.0 program using ANOVA, cross tabulations and an independent 2-sample t-test. Results: Routine suctioning to healthy newborns resulted in decreasing oxygen saturation levels and increasing the heart and respiration rate regardless of the kind of suctioning. Stabilization of the oxygen saturation level and vital signs was also observed without suctioning. Conclusion: To prevent healthy newborns from the side effect of suctioning, selective suctioning is recommended.