ABSTRACT
Rspiratory distress syndrome is one of the most important of mortality and morbidity in premature newborns. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of body position on oxygen saturation in hospitalized premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome [RDS]. In an interventional analytic study, 69 premature infants with RDS were evaluated. Patients had a mean gestational age [ +/- SD] of 31.4 [ +/- 2.41] weeks [range: 28-35 weeks] with a mean birth weight [ +/- SD] of 1446.6 [ +/- 218.90] gram [range: 850-2400 gram]. Infants were studied both supine and prone positions. Each posture was maintained for 3 hours. Oxygen saturation was monitored by trans-cutaneous paIsoxymeter and mean of oxygen saturation was measured for 3 hours. All patients were premature, oxygen pendent and had RDS. Mean [ +/- SD] of oxygen saturation during 3 hours in prone and supine positions were 92.54% [ +/- 2.24%] and 91.78% [ +/- 2.35%] respectively [p=0.001]. Also mean [ +/- SD] of oxygen saturation at the end of each 3-hours period prone and supine positions were 91.30% [ +/- 2.42%] and 90.30% [ +/- 3.15%] respectively [p=0.006]. These findings suggest that, in premature infants with RDS oxygen saturation was significantly higher in the prone compard with the supine posture