title: Heart rate variability responses of a preterm infant to kangaroo care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of kangaroo care on heart rate variability in a healthy preterm infant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Private room on a postpartum unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mother-preterm infant dyad.
  
  
  METHODS
  Kangaroo (skin-to-skin) care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Heart rate variability, a noninvasive measurement of the sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system's influence on heart rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Heart rate variability, especially the parasympathetic component, was high when the infant was fussy in the open crib, indicating increased autonomic nervous system activity. With kangaroo care, the infant fell asleep, and both sympathetic and parasympathetic components of heart rate variability decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The wide fluctuations in the parasympathetic component of heart rate variability suggest immaturity of the sympathovagal response. Overall, kangaroo care produced changes in heart rate variability that illustrate decreasing stress.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, School of Nursing and Health Studies, 5801 Red Road, Coral Gable, FL 33143, USA. gmccain@miami.edu
authors.forename: Gail C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: McCain
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ludington-Hoe
authors.forename: Joan Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Swinth
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hadeed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000523:psychology*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000379:methods; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome