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Ludwig RJ, Grunau RE, Chafkin JE, et al. Preterm infant heart rate is lowered after Family Nurture Intervention in the NICU: Evidence in support of autonomic conditioning. Early Hum Dev. 2021;161:105455doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2021.105455.
Ludwig, R. J., Grunau, R. E., Chafkin, J. E., Hane, A. A., Isler, J. R., Chau, C. M. Y., Welch, M. G., & Myers, M. (2021). Preterm infant heart rate is lowered after Family Nurture Intervention in the NICU: Evidence in support of autonomic conditioning. Early human development, 161105455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2021.105455
Ludwig, Robert J, et al. "Preterm infant heart rate is lowered after Family Nurture Intervention in the NICU: Evidence in support of autonomic conditioning." Early human development vol. 161 (2021): 105455. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2021.105455
Ludwig RJ, Grunau RE, Chafkin JE, Hane AA, Isler JR, Chau CMY, Welch MG, Myers M. Preterm infant heart rate is lowered after Family Nurture Intervention in the NICU: Evidence in support of autonomic conditioning. Early Hum Dev. 2021 Oct;161:105455. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2021.105455. Epub 2021 Aug 31. PMID: 34517207.
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Early Hum Dev. 2021 Oct;161:105455. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2021.105455. Epub 2021 Aug 31.

Preterm infant heart rate is lowered after Family Nurture Intervention in the NICU: Evidence in support of autonomic conditioning.

Early human development

Robert J Ludwig, Ruth E Grunau, Julia E Chafkin, Amie A Hane, Joseph R Isler, Cecil M Y Chau, Martha G Welch, Michael Myers

Affiliations

  1. Nurture Science Program, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America. Electronic address: [email protected].
  2. Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].
  3. Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America. Electronic address: [email protected].
  4. Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, United States of America. Electronic address: [email protected].
  5. Nurture Science Program, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America. Electronic address: [email protected].
  6. Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].
  7. Nurture Science Program, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America; Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America. Electronic address: [email protected].
  8. Nurture Science Program, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America; Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 34517207 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2021.105455

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cardiac complications after premature birth are associated with negative long-term consequences to health. The Family Nurture Intervention (FNI) has been designed to support mother-infant parasympathetic calming sessions in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). FNI has shown neurodevelopmental and autonomic benefit across infant development.

AIMS: We tested the hypothesis that heart rate (HR) will decrease after FNI over the course of the NICU stay, compared to matched controls.

STUDY DESIGN: We used a case-matched design. The intervention included on average four ~1-hour facilitated mother-infant 'calming' sessions per week. We collected 24/7 real time heart rate data from a central monitoring system and analyzed data from two time-periods.

SUBJECTS: The intervention group comprised 37 infants born ~30 weeks gestational age (GA) in a level IV NICU, treated with FNI. From the same NICU and time-period, we created a contemporaneous comparison group of 32 infants who were case-matched to each intervention infant for sex, age-at-birth, singleton or twin status, month of admission and length of stay.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Using generalized estimating equation (GEE) modeling, we analyzed 24/7 HR data during a 1-hour period between 4:30 and 5:30 am each day in the NICU, when all infants were least disturbed. Using repeated measures ANOVA, we analyzed 24/7 HR data during a 6-week period starting 1 week prior to the start of FNI and ending 5 weeks after start.

RESULTS: GEE modeling of the 1-hour data from all subjects showed significant lower HR in the FNI group, compared with controls. ANOVA modeling on a subset of subjects over the five-week period showed that FNI infant HR decreased in a dose-response manner relative to SC HR.

CONCLUSION: This study suggests FNI may condition lower infant HR in a dose-response manner during the NICU stay.

Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Autonomic stability; Cardiac function; Kangaroo care; Preterm infant; Skin-to-skin care; Stress

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