Body weight gain is crucial for preterm newborns, especially those with a low birth weight. Owing to their noninvasive, noncontact, and non-pharmaceutical properties, extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) are a promising medium of alternative and complementary therapy.
Sixty-one preterm newborns of 32-35 weeks' gestational age were recruited from the neonatal intensive care unit of the Chung Shan Medical University Hospital and randomly assigned to one of two groups: the experimental group (n = 31) or the control group (n = 30). Both groups received the same medical care, but the experimental group was exposed to ELF-EMFs until discharge.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
61
extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields
routine care
Chung Shan Medical University
Taichung, Taiwan
Change from Baseline body weight gain at 4 weeks
Although the preterm newborns' body weight was recorded daily, the differences in body weight gain between the two groups were compared every week.The body weights of the preterm newborns were recorded using the same weighing scale at the same time every day.
Time frame: Baseline, week1, week2, week3, week4.
Change from Baseline sleep quality at 4 weeks
The preterm newborns' sleep quality was recorded daily, the differences in sleep quality between the two groups were compared every week. The preterm' sleep quality was recorded by the sleep tracking devices of Fitbit Alta HR. The correlation coefficient between Alta HR and PSG was 0.85\~0.87.
Time frame: Baseline, week1, week2, week3, week4.
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