Heart rate deceleration during the grasping reflex.
Heart rate changes were measured as a psychophysiological indicator during grasping reflex in 27 full-term healthy newborns at 2.5-50 h after birth. A significant heart rate deceleration accompanied the grasping response.


CONCLUSIONS
Reflex grasping of a mother's hand, as a component of human attachment behaviour, may have a positive calming effect on the infant's state and could have therapeutic value for high risk mother-infant dyads.
Nagy
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Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis Medical University, Budapest, Hungary. nagyeme@net.sote.hu
Molnar
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P
D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012016:Reference Values; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D014110:Touch; D014741:Video Recording