Abstract
ABSTRACTObjective>:To compare vital signs before and after the therapeutic touch observed in hospitalized newborns in neonatal intensive care unit.Methods:This was a quasi-experimental study performed at a neonatal intensive care unit of a municipal hospital, in the city of São Paulo (SP), Brazil. The sample included 40 newborns submitted to the therapeutic touch after a painful procedure. We evaluated the vital signs, such as heart and respiratory rates, temperature and pain intensity, before and after the therapeutic touch.Results:The majority of newborns were male (n=28; 70%), pre-term (n=19; 52%) and born from vaginal delivery (n=27; 67%). Respiratory distress was the main reason for hospital admission (n=16; 40%). There was a drop in all vital signs after therapeutic touch, particularly in pain score, which had a considerable reduction in the mean values, from 3.37 (SD=1.31) to 0 (SD=0.0). All differences found were statistically significant by the Wilcoxon test (p<0.05).Conclusion:The results showed that therapeutic touch promotes relaxation of the baby, favoring reduction in vital signs and, consequently in the basal metabolism rate.
Highlights
Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) places the newborn (NB) in a restricted environment, where he is exposed to unpleasant stimuli, such as stress and pain
Considering the benefits reported in the literature in regard to the use of therapeutic touch, this study proposes to investigate its use as a way to give relief to stress experienced by neonates admitted to the NICU
This choice was on purpose, since the first NBs admitted to the NICU during the data collection period were included in the sample
Summary
Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) places the newborn (NB) in a restricted environment, where he (she) is exposed to unpleasant stimuli, such as stress and pain. It is important to emphasize the need to provide assistance with a holistic approach, in such a way that care contributes to reducing the deleterious effects caused by hospitalization, both for NB as well as their family members[4,5,6]. Therapeutic touch is a healing method in which, by the use of hands, energy, warmth and love are transferred from a donor to the body of a recipient.
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