title: Weight gain and movement patterns of very low birthweight babies nursed on lambswool.
abstract: 34 very low birthweight babies (mean 1143 g) in incubators were randomly assigned to be continuously nursed on lambswool (n = 17) or ordinary cotton sheets (n = 17). The weight gain for the periods when babies were well was significantly larger for the wool group, 22.7 g/day vs 18.6 g/day for cotton control (p less than 0.02). The overall weight gain (which included weight change during periods of illness) revealed a similar picture in favour of the wool group, 21.5 g/day vs 18.2 g/day (p less than 0.05). Movement patterns for the two groups showed no differences, but for all babies a strong correlation was noted between moving and lying suspine (p less than 0.001), having eyes open (p less than 0.001), a cooler incubator (p less than 0.01), and faster weight gain (p less than 0.01). Lambswool seems to have advantages over cotton sheets as a bedding material for very low birth weight babies.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001512:Bedding and Linens; D001835:Body Weight; D003368:Gossypium; D006801:Humans; D007186:Incubators, Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009068:Movement; D011187:Posture; D012756:Sheep; D014935:Wool