title: Randomized controlled study of the effects of different durations of light exposure on weight gain by preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit.
abstract: A randomized controlled study was carried out on 96 preterm infants (< 37 wk) with birthweight less than 2000 g admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit. The aim was to compare the weight gain between preterm infants exposed to 12 h cyclical lighting (intensity of light: 78.4 +/- 24.7 lux, mean +/- SD) and those exposed to a continuously dim environment (5.9 +/- 1.9 lux). The exclusion criteria were infants with major congenital malformations or who needed continuous lighting for treatment procedure and care. From day 7 of life until discharge, 50 infants were randomized to receive 12 h cyclical lighting and 46 infants to a continuously dim environment. There was no significant difference in the mean birthweight (12 h lighting vs continuously dim: 1482 vs 1465 g, p = 0.8), mean gestational age (31.6 vs 31.4 wk, p = 0.6), median duration of hospital stay (28.5 vs 28.5 d, p = 0.8), mean age to regain birthweight (13.0 vs 12.9 d, p = 0.3), mean weight gained by day 14 (27.6 vs 36.2 g, p = 1.0), median weight gain per day (11.9 vs 12.2 g, p = 0.9) or median body weight on discharge (1800 vs 1800 g, p = 0.4) between the two groups of infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposing preterm infants to either 12 h cyglical lighting or continuously dim environment did not have any significant effect on their weight gain during the neonatal period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. nyboo@mail.hukm.ukm.my
authors.forename: N Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Boo
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chee
authors.forename: Jaafar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rohana
mesh_terms: D001034:Apgar Score; D001724:Birth Weight; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008029:Lighting; D008297:Male; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000628:therapy*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*