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Tactile stimulation of the premature infant

Author

Dianne Kennedy Hicks, University of the Pacific

Date of Award

1987

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Department

Graduate School

First Advisor

Kenneth L. Beauchamp

First Committee Member

Roger C. Katz

Second Committee Member

Roseann Hannon

Abstract

A soft, light-weight, beige, stuffed toy was placed in direct body contact with stable, 30-34 wk gestation infants. Length of hospitalization, l activity level, length of time to return to birth weight, and parent visiting rate were recorded for the randomly assigned 10 experimental and 10 control infants. Contrary to predictions, significant differences were found in the length of hospitalization and weight gain, with the control group being discharged sooner and returning to birth weight faster. No significant differences occurred in the parent visiting rate, and only minimal positive results were seen in the activity level for the experimental group. The disproportionate number of younger, smaller, sicker infants in the experimental group was believed to be a reason for these unexpected results.

Pages

42

Recommended Citation

Kennedy Hicks, Dianne. (1987). Tactile stimulation of the premature infant. University of the Pacific, Thesis. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2144