Pulse rate and behavioral state correlates after auditory, tactile, visual, and vestibular intervention in drug-exposed neonates.
OBJECTIVE
Compare responses of nonexposed and drug-exposed newborns to auditory, tactile, visual, and vestibular (ATVV) intervention.


METHODS
Prospective design with random assignment of drug-exposed (N=45) and nonexposed (N=72) newborns to control and experimental groups.


METHODS
Experimentals received 15 minutes of ATVV twice after birth. Infant behavioral state (IBS) and pulse rate (PR) were measured.


RESULTS
The nonexposed and drug-exposed control groups (p=0.021) differed on the distribution of IBS yet no differences were noted between the two experimental groups. Nonexposed and drug-exposed experimentals experienced more alertness and less quiet sleep than controls (p<0.05). PR and IBS were significantly correlated for all but the drug-exposed control group (nonexposed control, r=0.938, p=0.006; nonexposed experimental, r=0.979, p=0.001; drug-exposed experimental, r=0.955, p=0.003). Within the combined (control+experimental) drug-specific groups, only polydrug-exposed infants demonstrated such a correlation (r=0.584, p=0.046). A significant correlation was also identified within the cocaine-exposed group for the experimentals only (r=0.992, p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The ATVV promoted normal physiologic and behavioral function.
White-Traut
Rosemary
R
Department of Maternal-Child Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612-7350, USA.
Studer
Terrence
T
Meleedy-Rey
Patricia
P
Murray
Patricia
P
Labovsky
Susanna
S
Kahn
James
J
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D018730:Infant Behavior; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009357:Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012890:Sleep