Earlysensory Stimulation for Preterm Babies

Tactile kinesthetic stimulation was given to 15 premature infants to determine effects on neurophysiological development. The mothers of the Ss were trained to administer the treatment for 15 min 4 times a day for 1 mo, beginning the day the S arrived home from the hospital. When Ss and 14 control Ss were 4 mo old (CA), they were examined by a pediatrician, a psychologist, and a pediatric nurse who had no knowledge of whether the S was experimental or control. The Ss' neurological development, weight, length, head circumference, and mental and motor development (as determined by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development) were assessed. Results indicate that experimental Ss made significant gains in neurological development, in weight gain, and in mental development. Findings suggest that the early and systematic stimulation provided by the mothers can enhance development of premature infants.

1. Describes the problems of premature infants with low birth weight, reviews the literature on fetal and neonatal responses to auditory stimuli, and extrapolates and synthesizes research results for the development of effective early intervention techniques that incorporate music. Sample activities for both infant pacification/stimulation and parent training are given, and the role of music therapy in the development of comprehensive early intervention systems under US Public Law 99-457 guidelines is discussed. Music techniques for stimulation/pacification include visual, tactile, vestibular, and auditory methods. Parent training emphasizes sensitizing the parent to infant cues.Tactile/kinesthetic stimulation was given to 20 preterm neonates (mean gestational age, 31 weeks; mean birth weight, 1,280 g; mean time in neonatal intensive care unit, 20 days) during transitional ("grower") nursery care, and their growth, sleep-wake behavior, and Brazelton scale performance was compared with a group of 20 control neonates. The tactile/kinesthetic stimulation consisted of body...