title: The effects of environmental noise and infant position on cerebral oxygenation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess how different infant positions and peak sound levels affected cerebral oxygen saturation over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four premature infants who were born less than 32 weeks' gestational age without congenital cardiac, neurologic, and gastrointestinal anomalies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated-measures design with the first observation between 2 and 48 hours of life; once again between 49 and 96 hours of life; on day of life 7; and every 7 days thereafter until discharge home, transfer to another hospital, or 40 weeks postmenstrual age, whichever came first.
  
  
  METHODS
  Continuous sound levels (decibels) were obtained and 2 infant positions were performed while measuring cerebral oxygen saturation during 40-minute observation periods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Effect of peak sound and differences in infant position on cerebral oxygen saturation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Peak sound levels 5 dB above the average ambient sound level did not significantly change cerebral oxygen saturation values. Differences in cerebral oxygenation were significantly less when infants were changed from a supine, head midline position to a right lateral, 15° head elevation compared with a left lateral, 0° elevation position.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aspects of the current neonatal intensive care unit environment do not appear to affect cerebral oxygen saturation.
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. heather.elser@duke.edu
authors.forename: Heather E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Elser
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holditch-Davis
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Debra H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Brandon
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D002110:Caffeine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D016014:Linear Models; D009622:Noise; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D056888:Patient Positioning; D012494:Sampling Studies; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D016683:Supine Position
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002110:Caffeine; D010100:Oxygen