Picture of taking care of a baby (picture provided by Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan)
A study by the College of Nursing, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) on heel sticks in preterm infants discovered that during the heel sticks and blood draw process, if preterm infants hear maternal voices, their heart rate is more stable, and their external pain response is more subdued. This study was jointly conducted by NYCU and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan. The results of this study have been published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing.
Prof. Chi-Wen Chen of the College of Nursing, NYCU led a research team to conduct an experiment. In the experiment, 64 preterm infants were randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group. On the fourth day after birth, the preterm infants of the experimental group received heel sticks. Three minutes before receiving heel sticks, a recording from their mother reading the children’s book Xiaoqi’s Yellow Persimmon was played at no louder than 70 dB until the entire blood draw process ended. The results revealed that playing maternal sound significantly reduced the heart rate and pain indicators of participants in the experimental group compared to those of the control group.
In addition, the research team discovered that infants who listened to maternal voices had slower respiratory rates, increased blood oxygen saturation, and superior mother-infant bonding. Although the data of these three indicators did not show significant differences, the experimental group indeed has better data performance.
Prof. Chi-Wen Chen(right) and Ms. Wan-Chin Yu, a nurse from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan
For more information, please visit:
