| Does massage
cause infants to desaturate? In the past, there has been concern
about touching preterm infants causing them to desaturating, or not get
enough oxygen. Because of this, some NICU's have a general policy
of minimal touch for the infants. A study by Connie Morrow et al.
published 1991 in Infant Behavior and Development compared
transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2) , a reading of how well an infant
is oxygenating, in 37 infants getting a heelstick vs. getting massage.
They questioned whether infants have different reactions to soothing
touch vs. painful touch.
- During the heel stick procedure, oxygen levels declined an
average of 14 mmHg.
- Oxygen levels remained in the safe area during massage sessions
- TcPO2 levels were more variable during massage, possibly due to
movement of the measuring electrode.
- The oxygen level was significantly lower during the heal-stick
than during massage
Conclusion: Although preterm infants may by sensitive to
some types of touch, massage does not seem to significantly decrease oxygen
saturation.
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