Effects of vestibular stimulation on neurophysiologic impact among preterm infants - A systematic review

Abstract

The preterm birth can have impact on child development. Hence the purpose of this systematic review is to find the effect of vestibular stimulation and its impact when given to preterm infant. The database search for this systematic review includes Google Scholar, PubMed, Pedro, Research Gate, and Cochrane. A Total of 96 articles were obtained using the key words search. The articles were filtered and sorted according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.6 articles were selected for the review. The review search included all clinical trials in preterm babies (28-37 weeks) with the birth weight ranging from 1,000-2,000g, medically stable, stable vital signs and had a control group that did not receive any intervention in addition to the standard treatment provided by the NICU. The articles which did not contain, full text, appropriate data and published in any other language other than English were excluded. The review search analysis reflected that, vestibular stimulation for preterm infants is beneficial and necessary. Vestibular stimulation proves to have a significant amount of positive beneficial outcomes when compared to other stimulations. Assessment of the methodology of the studies reviewed herein showed that vestibular stimulation is efficient in determining the developmental behaviour, to enhance the respiratory functioning, to ensure physical growth, in promoting mature sleep and to maintain arousal state.