Development and Evaluation of Neonate Physiological Index at Parental Contact

Abstract

Rooming-in is an arrangement that allows mothers and newborn babies in the same room during the postpartum hospital stay. This practice gives an opportunity for the parents to have more affectionate touching with their infants. However, the influence of intimate contact on a neonate's physiological changes has not been studied. Our study develops an evaluation system of neonate physiological changes during parental contact. The system recorded an electrocardiogram (ECG) in real-time and analyzed the heart rate variability (HRV). Thirty healthy neonates were recruited for this study. The paired t-test was performed for statistical analysis. The HRV of a baby with and without parental hold was compared. The HF power and HF/LF ratio are significant (P<0.05). However, there is no considerable difference in LF power. In conclusion, this research has developed a system to evaluate the neonate physiological index. The system can make available the long-term monitoring and recording of neonate physiological information for parents.