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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges
Published on: February 25, 2016
Heart rate variability responses of a preterm infant to kangaroo care
Gail C McCain1, Susan M Ludington-Hoe, Joan Y Swinth
1University of Miami, School of Nursing and Health Studies, 5801 Red Road, Coral Gable, FL 33143, USA. gmccain@miami.edu
Objective:
To examine the effect of kangaroo care on heart rate variability in a healthy preterm infant.
Design:
Case study.
Setting:
Private room on a postpartum unit.
Participant:
A mother-preterm infant dyad.
Intervention:
Kangaroo (skin-to-skin) care.
Main Outcome Measure:
Heart rate variability, a noninvasive measurement of the sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system's influence on heart rate.
Results:
Heart rate variability, especially the parasympathetic component, was high when the infant was fussy in the open crib, indicating increased autonomic nervous system activity. With kangaroo care, the infant fell asleep, and both sympathetic and parasympathetic components of heart rate variability decreased.
Conclusions:
The wide fluctuations in the parasympathetic component of heart rate variability suggest immaturity of the sympathovagal response. Overall, kangaroo care produced changes in heart rate variability that illustrate decreasing stress.
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