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Roots of smile: a preterm neonates' study
Kiyobumi Kawakami1, Kiyoko Takai-Kawakami, Fumito Kawakami
1University of the Sacred Heart, 4-3-1, Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8938, Japan. kawakami@u-sacred-heart.ac.jp
Infant Behavior & Development
|May 13, 2008
Summary
Younger and smaller preterm infants exhibit more frequent and longer spontaneous smiles in the NICU. Even extremely premature infants, around 200 days post-conception, display these early social behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Development
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Spontaneous smiles in neonates are a key developmental marker.
- Understanding the origins of early social behaviors is crucial for assessing infant well-being.
- Preterm infants present unique developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and characteristics of spontaneous smiles in preterm neonates.
- To explore the relationship between gestational age, size, and spontaneous smiling in early infancy.
- To discuss the potential developmental roots of spontaneous smiles in the NICU population.
Main Methods:
- Observational study design.
- 22 preterm neonates monitored for 1 hour each in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
- 95 instances of spontaneous smiles were systematically recorded.
Main Results:
- A total of 95 spontaneous smiles were observed across the 22 preterm neonates.
- Younger and smaller preterm neonates demonstrated a higher frequency and longer duration of spontaneous smiles.
- The study included an infant at 200 days post-conception (511g) who exhibited spontaneous smiles.
Conclusions:
- Gestational age and birth size are inversely correlated with spontaneous smiling frequency and duration in preterm infants.
- Spontaneous smiling can emerge very early in development, even in extremely preterm infants.
- The findings suggest early neurological maturation and sensory processing may underlie spontaneous smiles in neonates.
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