Abstract
The premature infant is more vulnerable to infection and more prone to respiratory complications than the healthy term counterparts. Secretary Immunoglobulin A (SIgA) protects againts respiratory tract infections and the secretory immune responses of premature infants to tactile stimulation were examined in this study. A pre-test/post-test counterbalanced design examined developmental effects of gentle/light systematic stroking (TAC-TIC therapy) on SIgA secretion. Unstimulated saliva was obtained from six (2M;4F) very/extrenely low birthweight (<1.2kgs), ventilated infants before and after TAC-TIC (n=14) or a control period (n=15). A one-way repeated measures ANOVA indicated that SIgA concentrations were higher (NS) after the intervention and significantly lower (DF = 1; F=4.11; p<0.05) following the control period. Based on the rationale of the ‘Equilibrium Model’ the intervention may be facilitating ‘coactions’ amongst various infant systems through self-regulatory mechanisms, and it is possibly acting as a modulator of the immune system.
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