Touch during preterm infant resuscitation.
Preterm infants frequently require resuscitation in the delivery room. Under the intense circumstances of providing lifesaving interventions, caregivers may be unaware of the amount and kind of touch an infant receives. The purpose of this qualitative, ethologic study was to describe the kinds of touch that occur during resuscitation of premature infants immediately after delivery as viewed on videotape. The convenience sample consisted of ten videotapes of premature infant resuscitation performed at a tertiary care center. Using Spradley's Developmental Research Sequence, a description of kinds of touch--including mechanical and human touch--was developed. Descriptive research conceptualizing touch promotes awareness of current practice and may lead to alterations in clinical practice that best support the adaptive response in the depressed infant.
Kitchin
L W
LW
Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington, USA.
Hutchinson
S
S
D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D017283:Neonatal Nursing; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000451:nursing*; D014110:Touch; D014743:Videotape Recording