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Effects of a developmental physical therapy program on oxygen saturation and heart rate in preterm infants
M K Kelly1, R J Palisano, M R Wolfson
1Children's Seashore House, Children's Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Insights
Physical therapy for preterm infants is safe, as pulse oximetry showed no significant changes in arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2). Heart rate increased during therapy but returned to baseline, indicating tolerance.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Physiology
- Pediatric Physical Therapy
Background:
- Preterm infants often require specialized physical therapy interventions.
- Monitoring physiological responses during therapy is crucial for safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the physiological effects of physical therapy on preterm infants.
- To evaluate arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) and heart rate responses.
Main Methods:
- 14 preterm infants underwent physical therapy involving side-lying and supported-sitting positions.
- Pulse oximetry monitored SaO2 and heart rate during baseline, intervention, and recovery.
- Repeated measures ANOVA analyzed the data.
Main Results:
- No significant changes in mean SaO2 were observed across positions or intervention duration.
- Mean heart rate significantly increased during intervention (p < .0001).
- Heart rate returned to baseline levels during the recovery phase.
Conclusions:
- Physical therapy is well-tolerated by preterm infants, with no risk of desaturation.
- Observed heart rate changes reflect normal physiological responses to exercise.
- Pulse oximetry is a valuable tool for monitoring preterm infants during physical therapy.
Abstract:
To evaluate the physiologic responses of 14 preterm infants to physical therapy, pulse oximetry was used to measure the percentage of arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) and heart rate during baseline, intervention, and recovery phases. Treatment consisted of six one-minute activities that were equally divided between the side-lying and supported-sitting positions. The order of position and activities was randomly varied. A one-way analysis of variance for repeated measures revealed no significant changes in mean SaO2 as a function of the position or duration of intervention. Mean heart rate increased significantly as a result of intervention (p less than .0001), but there was no significant difference between the baseline and recovery phases. Further analysis indicated that the change in heart rate was not a function of duration of intervention. The results indicate that the preterm infants were able to tolerate the intervention without desaturation. The return of heart rate to baseline values during the recovery phase suggested a normal physiologic response to exercise. Despite some technical limitations, pulse oximetry is recommended to monitor preterm infants during physical therapy.