PURPOSE: This study was to investigate the effects of non-nutritive sucking on physiological and behavioral state of pre-term infants during tube feeding. METHOD: This nonequivalent, non-synchronized experimental study included 50 pre-term infants. An attempt was made to match gestational age and birth weight of infants in each group. Infants in the experimental group were given a pacifier 2 minutes before, during, and for 2 minutes after tube feeding. Infants in the control group did not get a pacifier. Both groups were tested at three stages for changes in the physiologic state and behavioral state-2 minutes before, during, and 2 minutes after feeding. Date was analyzed with SPSS WIN 10.0 using an chi-square-test, t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA. RESULT: Heart rates and oxygen saturation levels of the two groups were significantly different(P=.001, P=.000). The behavioral states of the two groups were significantly different during and post feeding(P=.000, P=.000). CONCLUSION: This result suggests non-nutritive sucking by using a pacifier is an effective intervention for pre-term infants during tube feeding.
*Enteral Nutrition ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Behavior/*physiology/psychology ; Infant Care ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature/*physiology/psychology ; Male ; Oxygen Consumption ; *Pacifiers

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the premature infants' responses to infant massage (tactile and kinesthetic stimulation). These responses measured by weight, physiological (vagal tone, heart rate, oxygen saturation) and behavioral responses (behavioral states, motor activities, and behavioral distress). METHODS: This study was conducted using an equivalent control pretest-posttest design. The sample was divided into two groups of 13 infants with gestational age less than 36 weeks at birth, birth weight less than 2000g, and no congenital anomalies. The experimental group received the massage intervention twice daily for 10 days. The data were collected for 10 minutes prior to and 10 minutes after the massage. RESULTS: The vagal tone was significantly higher after massage than before massage in the experimental group, while no change in the control group. The experimental group had significantly higher scores for awake state and motor activity than the control group. Significantly greater awake state, more fidgeting or crying, and increased motor activity were reported after massage than before massage. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that massage therapy might enhance optimal physiological responses and behavioral organization of premature infants. Nursing staff in the NICU can use massage to promote the infant's capability to respond positively to his environment and to provide developmental support for healthy premature infants.
*Weight Gain ; Stress/physiopathology/prevention & control ; *Massage/psychology ; Male ; Infant, Premature/*physiology/*psychology ; Infant, Newborn ; *Infant Behavior ; Humans ; Female ; Autonomic Nervous System/physiology ; Analysis of Variance

Thyroid hormone is important in brain development. Thus, thyroid hormone deficiency during the critical period of brain development results in severe cognitive and motor dysfunctions. Along with the development of intensive care for premature infants, the survival rates of premature babies and the long-term complications associated with neurodevelopment and motor function have increased. Premature infants differ from full-term infants in terms of the change in thyroid hormone level after birth because of the immaturity of their hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis. Therefore, the diagnostic and therapeutic criteria for hypothyroidism in premature infants still remain unclear. In addition, as the thyroid function of premature infants can be affected by various diseases or drugs, periodic thyroid function tests are required. Although transient hypothyroxinemia is known to spontaneously recover in most infants, some studies have shown further complications associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Accordingly, although thyroid hormone therapy in preterm infants has been introduced, its efficacy is yet controversial. In order to understand the thyroid abnormalities observed in premature infants or patients in neonatal intensive care units, this article intends to present a comprehensive review of the physiology of the thyroid gland, transient hypothyroxinemia/delayed thyroidstimulating hormone elevation, and euthyroid sick syndrome that affects thyroid function.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Brain ; Critical Period (Psychology) ; Euthyroid Sick Syndromes ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Infant, Premature ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Parturition ; Physiology ; Survival Rate ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Gland*

BACKGROUND: Infants are very different from children and adults in the point of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and psychology. The mortality rate of infant anesthesia is higher than that of child and adult. So that this study is to analyze the infant's operation and to recognize the tendency and problems of infant's anesthesia and also to improve the outcome. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 1436 infants who had operations from april 1987 to february 1995 according to age, sex, department, disease, operation time, postoperative complications, mortality rate and anesthetic method. RESULTS: Total number of operation tend to increase annually. The male to female ratio was 67.5% to 32.5%. The distribution of patients by department was 60.6% of general surgery, 21.0% of plastic surgery and small percentage of other department. The distribution of disease was the following : inguinal hernia - the most common; cleft lip and palate, intussusception and others. The postoperative complications developed in 98 of 1436. The most common complication was the respiratory problems, the others were sepsis, electrolyte unbalance, gastrointestinal and CNS problems. The total mortality rate was 3.6%. The emergency operation case was 17.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The most common distribution of age was neonate and the most commm department was general surgery and the most common disease was inguinal hernia. The most common postoperative complication was respiratory problems and the second was infection and sepsis. The mortality rate in preterm infant, neonate, emergency operation and long duration operation was higher than total motality rate.
Adult ; Anesthesia* ; Child ; Cleft Lip ; Emergencies ; Female ; Hernia ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intussusception ; Male ; Mortality ; Palate ; Pharmacology ; Physiology ; Postoperative Complications ; Psychology ; Retrospective Studies* ; Sepsis ; Surgery, Plastic

BACKGROUND: Infants are very different from children and adults in the point of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and psychology. The mortality rate of infant anesthesia is higher than that of child and adult. So that this study is to analyze the infant's operation and to recognize the tendency and problems of infant's anesthesia and also to improve the outcome. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 1436 infants who had operations from april 1987 to february 1995 according to age, sex, department, disease, operation time, postoperative complications, mortality rate and anesthetic method. RESULTS: Total number of operation tend to increase annually. The male to female ratio was 67.5% to 32.5%. The distribution of patients by department was 60.6% of general surgery, 21.0% of plastic surgery and small percentage of other department. The distribution of disease was the following : inguinal hernia - the most common; cleft lip and palate, intussusception and others. The postoperative complications developed in 98 of 1436. The most common complication was the respiratory problems, the others were sepsis, electrolyte unbalance, gastrointestinal and CNS problems. The total mortality rate was 3.6%. The emergency operation case was 17.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The most common distribution of age was neonate and the most commm department was general surgery and the most common disease was inguinal hernia. The most common postoperative complication was respiratory problems and the second was infection and sepsis. The mortality rate in preterm infant, neonate, emergency operation and long duration operation was higher than total motality rate.
Adult ; Anesthesia* ; Child ; Cleft Lip ; Emergencies ; Female ; Hernia ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intussusception ; Male ; Mortality ; Palate ; Pharmacology ; Physiology ; Postoperative Complications ; Psychology ; Retrospective Studies* ; Sepsis ; Surgery, Plastic