Stress Levels in Premature Infants During Bathing
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Authors
Karbowicz, Sonia
Plummer, McKenzie
Skogen, Halee
Date of Issue
2023-04-28
Type
Presentation
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Abstract
Premature infants are a high risk population that should be given every possible accommodation to promote safe growth and healing. Bathing is a critical aspect of care because it prevents infection and promotes recovery. Bathing can be a stressful time for infants due to the unfamiliar sensations, temperature, and separation from their caregiver. Providing a calming experience for the infant may help reduce complications that result from high stress levels. Premature infants are born before the 37th week of pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022). Premature babies are at higher risk than term infants for serious disease, disability, and death (CDC, 2022). Routine bathing lowers the incidence rate of potential complications and was traditionally done as a tub bath or sponge bath. A tub bath consists of pouring water over the neonate when they are placed in a tub (Paran et al. 2016), while a sponge bath consists of wiping the infant with a wet sponge or towel (Peacehealth, 2022). Crying time indicates the level of discomfort and stress the infant is experiencing. The purpose of this evidence-based brief is to examine different bathing practices for premature infants and how it impacts their crying time after bathing. After this examination, some light can be shed on which bathing practice is the most calming for the infant. Nurses can utilize this information within their practice to provide lower stress experiences for premature infants, which can improve their care outcomes.