Effects of therapeutic touch in preterm infants receiving nasal CPAP: A pilot trial

Abstract

Introduction: Premature newborns have an immature cardiorespiratory system that hinders adaptation to the extrauterine environment. This leads to multiple complications which require interventions to improve ventilation and gas exchange, like oxygenating using therapeutic support devices such as continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP. Objective: To determine the effect of therapeutic touch on preterm newborns’ adaptation to CPAP. Materials and methods: This is a quasi-experimental study, with a sample of 13 PTNB who underwent therapeutic touch for 15 minutes in 2 daily sessions (6 am and 8 pm), with pre- and post-assessment of NOC “Preterm Infant Organization.” Descriptive analysis was performed. Results: The participants were allocated to the control group and the intervention group in a similar way. Pre- and post-intervention changes were observed, but especially in the hand posture indicator, with a difference between both groups of 0.74 with a p-value of 0.006. Conclusions: The practice of therapeutic touch with RNPT receiving nasal CPAP allows for improving the comfort of the RNPT through physiological and neurobehavioral indicators.