Abstract
Background: Behavioral responses of preterm infant to sensory stimulation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are important to understand. This would enable NICU professionals to be cautious of overloading stimulations and ensure stability in preterm infants. The aim of this study was to describe the range of behavioral responses associated with multisensory (auditory, visual, tactile and vestibular) stimulation in preterm infants.Material and Methods: We recruited twenty-five preterm infants born at 28 to 36 weeks and birth weight of 1000 to 2000 grams for the study using convenience sampling. In the NICU, preterm infants from 32 weeks gestational age received multisensory stimulation session for duration of 12 minutes per day until discharge along with routine NICU care. During the stimulation, the behavioral responses of the preterm infants were observed and documented.Results: Limb activity and yawning were the most frequently observed behaviors. Sixty-five percent of the behavioral responses were observed during tactile stimulation. The frequency of observed behavioral responses decreased with successive stimulation sessions, which could indicate habituation responses in preterm infants to multisensory stimulation.Conclusions: Preterm infants showed behavioral responses indicating improved alertness and ability to integrate sensory stimulus. However, interpretation of preterm behaviors is a challenge because these behavioral responses could also indicate stress in preterm infants when coupled with other physiological and behavioral cues. Further studies are required to provide a detailed evidence for better clarity of infant’s responses to environmental stimuli.J Nepal Paediatr Soc 2016;36(2):110-114
Highlights
Unlike the intrauterine environment, preterm infants nurtured in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are exposed to different sensory exposures
Twenty-five preterm infants admitted to NICU of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal were recruited for the study based on the selection criteria
The multisensory stimulation was withheld in two infants for a period of 4 days because one of the infants was intubated during the study period due to hypoglycemia and respiratory distress and the other infant had frequent intense cry associated with hypoglycemia
Summary
Preterm infants nurtured in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are exposed to different sensory exposures. When the preterm infants are not able to adapt to the inappropriate environmental stimulation, they exhibit stress behaviors potentially indicating subsystem disorganization. Preterm infants are reported to exhibit self-regulatory behaviors when they can successfully adapt to the environmental stimulation indicating stability[2]. Stress behaviors such as yawning, finger splay and hiccups have been observed in preterm infants during exposure to NICU environment (for example, sudden noise, bright light) and common NICU procedures such as endotracheal suctioning, chest physiotherapy, diaper change, nasogastric feeding and bathing and positioning[3,4,5]. Behavioral responses of preterm infant to sensory stimulation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are important to understand. Further studies are required to provide a detailed evidence for better clarity of infant’s responses to environmental stimuli
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