The aim of this proposal is to characterize the acute effect of early postnatal sound exposure on neuronal maturation of the respiratory control regions of the brain in preterm infants.
The aim of this proposal is to characterize the acute effect of early postnatal sound exposure on neuronal maturation of the respiratory control regions of the brain in preterm infants. We hypothesize that exposure to appropriately designed womb-like sounds in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will induce a more mature and stabilized cardiorespiratory pattern manifesting as a decrease in apnea, bradycardia, intermittent hypoxemia and mean heart rate. This proposal lays the foundation for further development of actual womb and maternal voice recordings containing components that closely mimic the womb environment during 33-34 weeks of gestation, a proposed therapeutic window of brain development. These sound recordings will provide low risk interventions sorely needed to stabilize respiration, reduce intermittent hypoxemia and induce maturation of neuronal respiratory networks during this critical stage of development.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
34
Womb sounds will be chosen from commercially available (Amazon) womb recordings using a recording that most closely resembles the womb including maternal heart rate, fetal heartbeat, respiratory sounds, bowel "popping" sounds and frequency spectra as described by Parga, Daland 2018 et al.
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
RECRUITINGcardiorespiratory events
Apnea (\>20 seconds or shorter with intermittent hypoxemia \<85% or bradycardia \<80bpm)
Time frame: During the 24 hour period of randomized blocks of womb sound recordings and ambient noise
intermittent hypoxemia
falls in oxygen saturation \<85%
Time frame: During the 24 hour period of randomized blocks of womb sound recordings and ambient noise
mean heart rate
mean heart rate
Time frame: During the 24 hour period of randomized blocks of womb sound recordings and ambient noise
bradycardia
heart rate \<80bpm
Time frame: During the 24 hour period of randomized blocks of womb sound recordings and ambient noise
body motion
non-cardiac alterations in the oximeter plethysmograph waveform
Time frame: During the 24 hour period of randomized blocks of womb sound recordings and ambient noise
respiratory pauses
Respiratory pauses of \>5sec will be documented to increase the chance of capturing small alterations in respiratory stability.
Time frame: During the 24 hour period of randomized blocks of womb sound recordings and ambient noise
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