Effects of neonatal intensive care unit environmental factors on the physiological functions of low birth weight premature infants / 中国实用护理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the influence of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environmental factors on physiological function of premature infants, and propose improvement plan.Methods:A total of 40 cases of low body mass premature infants from June to December in 2017 in Chongqing Center for Women and Children were selected as the research objects, and 8:00-9:00 of working day was set as the daily period, 10:00-11:00 as the quiet period. Light, sound, touch and other environmental factors in NICU were detected quantitatively, basic vital signs, activity, stress hormones and other changes were recorded, and the impact of environmental factors on the children was analyzed.Results:Touch times in daily and quiet periods were (5.02±0.54) times/h and (4.56±0.55) times/h, with no significant difference ( P>0.05). The same time as the next two days, the activity of premature infants in quiet period was (8.26±3.10), which was lower than that in daily period (17.52±5.78), and the difference was statistically significant ( t value was 8.967, P<0.01). The sleep time of premature infants during quiet period (23.24±8.38) was significantly higher than that of daily period (4.80 ±5.39), the difference was statistically significant ( t value was-11.679, P<0.01). The levels of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine in premature infants were (61.53±13.47), (15.91±3.94), (49.22±15.15) μg/L in quiet period, which were significantly lower than those in daily period (74.52±20.98), (23.40±11.66), (80.32±32.43) μg/L ( t value was 3.295, 3.848, 5.502, P<0.01). The heart rate and systolic pressure of premature infants in quiet period (130.44±8.06) beats/min, (64.05±10.40) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) were significantly lower than those in daily period (145.21±10.52) beats/min, (72.85±13.36) mmHg, and the difference was statistically significant ( t value was 3.340, 2.166, P<0.01 or 0.05). Different time periods on the same day, the activity of premature infants in quiet period was (9.87±3.31), which was lower than that in daily period (19.82±5.57), and the difference was statistically significant ( t value was 9.761, P<0.01). The sleep time of premature infants during quiet period (25.75±9.07) was significantly higher than that of daily period (4.70±3.89), the difference was statistically significant ( t value was-13.457, P<0.01). The levels of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine in premature infants were (59.42±11.95), (15.78±1.45), (50.90±14.73) μg/L in quiet period, which were significantly lower than those in daily period (71.50±20.56), (25.62±11.95), (79.87±29.91) μg/L ( t value was 3.212, 5.169, 3.585, P<0.01). The heart rate and systolic pressure of premature infants in quiet period (136.02±11.22) beats/min, (65.35±9.56) mmHg were significantly lower than those in daily period (144.10±9.18) beats/min, (73.47±12.92) mmHg, and the difference was statistically significant ( t value was 3.533, 2.008, P<0.01 or 0.05). Conclusions:Children with NICU are generally in high noise and strong light environment, these factors will cause adverse physiological reactions to a certain extent.