Holly Johanna Diesel
M.S.N in Nursing, May, 1992, University of Missouri-Kansas City.
B.S.N in Nursing, May, 1987, University of Missouri- St. Louis.
B.A. in Psychology/Sociology, January, 1974, Southern Methodist University – Dallas, TX

Soothability and Growth in Preterm Infants

Abstract

This investigation is a randomized, controlled study of the relationship between tactile stimulation of premature infants and soothability, weight gain and hospital length of stay. Forty-six premature infants were recruited from a local tertiary care hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Soothability was measured by a subset of variables which included heart rate, respiratory rate, pain score, and wake and sleep times measured by actigraphy. Infants in the control group received standard nursery care. In addition to standard care, infants in the intervention group received two treatments with the pillow per day, lasting 15 minutes each, for five consecutive days. The pillow consisted of flax seeds contained in flannel fabric which weighed 170 grams. All infants in the study wore actigraphy devices to measure activity during the five day study period. Significant differences were found with respect to changes in heart rate, respiratory rate and pain scores for the infants in the treatment group. Infants in the treatment group regained their birth weights more rapidly than the infants in the control group, however, means discharge weights and hospital length of stay were no different between the two groups.

Defense of Dissertation Committee