Physiological evaluation of premature infants in traditional and humanized weighing: a quasi-experimental study
Bárbara Bertolossi Marta de Araújo1, Letícia Gomes Monteiro2, Juliana Mello Duarte Soares3
1Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Faculdade de Enfermagem. Departamento de Enfermagem Materno-Infantil. Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Insights
Humanized weighing significantly reduces physiological instability in premature infants compared to traditional methods. This approach, focusing on humanized care, leads to lower heart and respiratory rates, promoting better infant well-being.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric physiology
- Humanized healthcare practices
Background:
- Premature infants exhibit heightened physiological vulnerability.
- Traditional weighing methods can induce stress and physiological instability.
- Humanized care approaches aim to minimize infant distress during procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare physiological responses of premature infants during traditional versus humanized weighing.
- To evaluate the impact of humanized weighing on infant heart rate and respiratory rate.
- To provide evidence supporting the routine implementation of humanized weighing.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental crossover study involving 30 premature infants.
- Infants were randomly assigned to traditional (control) or humanized (intervention) weighing groups.
- Vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate) were monitored before and after each weighing procedure.
Main Results:
- Humanized weighing resulted in a lower incidence of increased heart rate (53.3%) compared to traditional weighing (83.3%).
- Respiratory rate increases were also less frequent with humanized weighing (43%) versus traditional (80%).
- Premature infants demonstrated reduced physiological instability under humanized weighing conditions.
Conclusions:
- Humanized weighing significantly decreases physiological instability in premature infants, particularly affecting heart and respiratory rates.
- The findings underscore the importance of humanizing care for vulnerable neonates.
- Routine adoption of humanized weighing practices in healthcare settings is recommended.
Objective:
To describe and compare the physiological signs presented by premature infants in traditional and humanized weighing.
Method:
A quasi-experimental crossover study, with a sample of 30 premature infants randomly assigned and allocated to the control group (traditional) and the intervention group (humanized), from March 2019 to March 2020, with the collection of general data, vital signs before and after the procedures. Statistical analyses included description of relative and absolute frequencies, measure of central tendency and dispersion.
Results:
Premature infants showed less increase in heart rate (53.3%) and respiratory rate (43%) in the verification of humanized weighing than in the traditional way, with 83.3% of neonates and 80%, respectively.
Conclusion:
It was observed that the humanized form provided less physiological instability, especially in heart and respiratory rates, making it necessary to encourage discussions about the humanization of care and perform this practice routinely in health units.
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