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Published on: February 25, 2016
Comparing Full and Pre-Term Neonates' Heart Rate Variability in Rest Condition and during Spontaneous Interactions
Theano Kokkinaki1, Maria Markodimitraki2, Giorgos Giannakakis3
1Child Development and Education Unit, Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Crete, 74150 Rethymnon, Greece.
Background:
Preterm neonates show decreased HRV compared to those at full-term. We compared HRV metrics between preterm and full-term neonates in transfer periods from neonate rest state to neonate-parent interaction, and vice versa.
Methods:
Short-term recordings of the HRV parameters (time and frequency-domain indices and non-linear measurements) of 28 premature healthy neonates were compared with the metrics of 18 full-term neonates. HRV recordings were performed at home at term-equivalent age and HRV metrics were compared between the following transfer periods: from first rest state of the neonate (TI1) to a period in which the neonate interacted with the first parent (TI2), from TI2 to a second neonate rest state (TI3), and from TI3 to a period of neonate interaction with the second parent (TI4).
Results:
For the whole HRV recording period, PNN50, NN50 and HF (%) was lower for preterm neonates compared to full-terms. These findings support the reduced parasympathetic activity of preterm compared to full-term neonates. The results of comparisons between transfer period simply a common coactivation of SNS and PNS systems for both full and pre-term neonates.
Conclusions:
Spontaneous interaction with the parent may reinforce both full and pre-term neonates' ANS maturation.
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