Effect of Cycled Lighting and Auditory Stimulation on Body Weight, Physiological Variables and Behavioral States in Low Birth Weight Infants

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was aimed at finding the effects of cycled lighting and auditory stimulation on body weight, physiological variables and the behavioral state of low birth weight infants (LBWI) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). METHODS: The subjects were 30 LBWI at 2 NICUs. They were assigned to experimental I, experimental II and control group which consisted of 10 subjects in each of their regular sequence. Cycled lighting was applied to the experimental group I for 10 days, cycled light and auditory stimualtion were applied to the experimental group II. RESULTS: It was certified that the application of cycled lighting and auditory stimulation resulted in increased body weight, decreased heart rate, and stabilization of the behavioral states of the LBWI. However, there was no effect on increase of O2 saturation and decrease of respiration rate. CONCLUSION: The application of cycled lighting and auditory stimulation might be interventions which would in turn have positive effects on the growth and development of LBWI.