The role of weighing-bathing sequence and postmenstrual age in eliciting adaptive/maladaptive responses in very low birth weight preterm infants.

Purpose: In the neonatal intensive care unit, preterm infants are exposed to several stressful stimuli. Inappropriate stimulation led to high risk for short- and long-term neurocognitive disabilities. This study aimed to evaluate whether the sequence of execution of weighing/bathing nursing procedures and postmenstrual age (PMA) have any effect on preterm infants' stress responses.