This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the effects of maternal heartbeat sounds and gentle human touch (GHT), a form of therapeutic touch, on heart rate, comfort, and behavioral scores in neonates born between 32 and 40 weeks and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
This parallel, randomized controlled trial will be conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a regional hospital. The sample will consist of 120 neonates with gestational ages of 32 to ≤40 weeks and randomly assigned to four groups (maternal heart sound, therapeutic touch, maternal heart sound + therapeutic touch, and control group). The data of the study are the Newborn Information Form, the Anderson Behavioral Status Scoring System, and Newborn Comfort Behavior Scale. Demographic data will be compared between groups (maternal heartbeat sound group (Group 1), light human touch group (Group 2), combined maternal heartbeat sound and light human touch group (Group 3), and control group (Group 4)). Video recordings will be used to compare heart rate, behavioral status, and comfort scale scores obtained before, during, and after the interventions. The time it takes to fall asleep will also be evaluated. A t-test will be applied to evaluate the score differences between groups.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
120
the trained NICU nurse will place one hand's fingertips on the baby's forehead along the brow line, while the other hand will be placed around the baby's lower abdomen
maternal heartbeat will be played and GHT steps will be applied simultaneously at the designated times
The recording of the mother's heartbeat will be done when the mother's mood is stable and the environment is quiet. A Doppler fetal heart monitor will be used to detect the mother's heartbeat. After ensuring a regular and stable heart rate, the mother's heartbeat will be recorded for 15 minutes using a recording device
Dokuz Eylul University
Izmir, Turkey (Türkiye)
comfort
It is a Likert-type scale consisting of seven parameters: alertness, calmness/agitation, respiratory response, crying, body movements, facial tension, and muscle tonus. As well as determining comfort, the COMFORTneo scale is a tool that includes numeric rating scales, which allow nurses to assess the pain and distress of the infant. The lowest score on the scale is 6, and the highest is 30. If the total score on the scale is between 14 and 30, the infant has pain or distress, is uncomfortable, and needs intervention to provide comfort. In addition, 4-6 points indicate moderate pain and distress, and 7-10 points indicate severe pain and distress
Time frame: 0 minutes (pre-intervention), 5 minutes, 15 minutes, and 20 minutes (post-intervention)
behavior
It developed by Anderson et al. in 1990, evaluates the baby's sleep-wake states through 12 categories of behavioral states. ABSS involves 12 categories, including measuring the extent of eye openness, patterns of respiration, body movement, muscle tension, and crying with or without sound, to assess the behavioral state of term infants as well as premature infants. Categories 1-5 pertain to sleep states, 6-8 pertain to wakefulness and calmness, and 9-12 pertain to discomfort and distress. High scores indicate negative behaviors, while low scores indicate positive behaviors.
Time frame: 0 minutes (pre-intervention), 5 minutes, 15 minutes, and 20 minutes (post-intervention)
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.