Ofuro bath effects on relaxation and weight gain of premature newborns in neonatal care units

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Humanized bathing methods are the most indicated for the care of low weight premature newborns (PTNB), for providing them with a better adaptive response to the extra-uterine environment, contributing to the improvement of the organization of behavioral, motor and physiological systems, as well as to the healthy development of this population, through relaxation resulting from immersion of the body in warm water, thus avoiding energy expenditure. OBJECTIVE: Investigate the effects of ofuro bath on relaxation and weight gain of PTNB, clinically stable, admitted to a Neonatal Intermediate Care Unit (NICU). METHOD: This is a quantitative, descriptive and almost exploratory study, with a sample of 10 newborns admitted in NICU kangaroo of Almeida Castro Maternity, Mossoró/RN, Brazil. The studied population, of low weight, was submitted to 2 weekly sessions of application of the method, for 10 minutes on alternate days. RESULT: There was no statistically significant difference in weight gain (p=0,127). In the hemodynamic variables, the study population showed an increase in respiratory frequency on day 2 (p=0,028), and decrease in body temperature on day 1 (p=0,014) and on day 2 (p = 0.005). Regarding the evaluation of pain, there were no statistically significant differences in the two days. CONCLUSION: Despite being observed the relaxation provided to the study population by applying the method, no statistically significant data were obtained to prove the relationship between the relaxation provided by ofuro bath and the weight gain of the PTNB studied in the present study.