Behavioral observation differentiates the effects of an intervention to promote sleep in premature infants: a pilot study.

Purpose: Sleep and ongoing cycling of sleep states are required for neurosensory processing, learning, and brain plasticity. Many aspects of neonatal intensive care environments such as handling for routine and invasive procedures, bright lighting, and noise can create stress, disrupt behavior, and interfere with sleep in prematurely born infants. The study empirically investigated whether a 30-minute observation of infant sleep states and behavior could differentiate an intervention to promote sleep in premature infants with feeding difficulties relative to conventional care (standard positioning, standard crib mattress [SP]).

Conformational positioning improves sleep in premature infants with feeding difficulties.

Objective: To determine whether premature infants' sleep organization, total sleep time, and arousals may be modulated while on a conformational positioner that provides boundaries, customized positioning, and containment compared with standard positioning (standard crib mattress).

Study Design: A proof of concept trial using a within subject crossover design was conducted among 25 premature infants with feeding difficulties. Infants of 31.