[Visual stimulation for premature newborns: a nursing intervention]

Vision allows us to assimilate the environment, helping us to construct knowledge. New-borns need time to develop some organs and senses, among them vision. The early premature visual stimulation may prevent its psycho-motor and social development from being late. In this study an experimental group has been submitted to stimulation process and visual evaluation and other group, the control one, was only evaluated. Data analysis considered exposure time, tool used, number of days and stimulation response. It has been verified that new-borns submitted to visual stimulation are alert, active and attentive; those from the control group are uninterested and stimulus little active. It has been noticed that the stimulation programme will permit visual disturbances to be detected b constant response evaluation.