Effect of Using Earmuffs on Physiological Parameters and Stress Levels of Premature Infants: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Aydin Maternity and Childrens' Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Turkey

2 Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Nursing, Department of Child Health and Diseases, Turkey

3 Izmir Democracy University, Faculty Of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Turkey

4 Aydın Gynecology and Pediatrics Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Turkey

Abstract

Background: Earmuffs can be worn to reduce the noise exposure of premature infants. The results regarding the use of earmuffs to provide physiological stability and reduce the stress level in preterm infants are not precise.The present study aims to examine the effect of providing noise control using ear muffs on premature infants’ physiological parameters and stress levels in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Methods: A prospective randomised trial was conducted including 100 premature infants for a one-year-period. After randomisation, the infants included in the study were evaluated for two consecutive days and checked twice a day for a total of four times. The infants in the study group wore earmuffs twice a day, in the supine and prone positions. The infants in the control group were followed up without earmuffs.
Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the post-procedural stress scores of the study and control groups (p<0.05). The stress scores of the infants in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Two hours after wearing earmuffs on the first and second days, a statistically significant difference was found between the respiratory rates of the two groups, being significantly lower in the study group (p=0,030).
Conclusion: According to the results of our study, using earmuffs in premature infants decreased the stress score and respiratory rate; however, this intervention did not affect other physiological parameters.
 
 

Keywords

References

  1. Almadhoob A, Ohlsson Sound reduction management in the neonatal intensive care unit for preterm or very low birth weight infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,2020. Issue 1. Art. No.: CD010333.
  2. Blourchian MJ, Sharaf Determination of Noise Level and Its Sources in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Ward. Iranian Journal of Neonatology. 2015; 6(4):21-24.
  3. Cardosoa SMS, Kozlowski LC, Lacerdaa ABM, Marques MJ, Ribas A. Newborn physiological responses to noise in the neonatal unit. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2015; 81(6):583-588.
  4. Cheong JLY, Burnett CA, Treyvaud, Spittle Early environment and long‑term outcomes of preterm infants. Journal of Neural Transmissio. 2020;127:1–8.
  5. Ceylan SS, Bolışık B. Examining psychometric properties of newborn stress scale. ACU Sağlık Bil Dergisi. 2017; 2:97-103. Article in Turkish.
  6. Aly AH, Ahmed Effect of Noise on Neonatal Vital Data and Behavior in NICU. Clinical Medicine and Diagnostics.2016;6(1): 1-6.
  7. Khalesi N, Khosravi N, Ranjbar A, Godarzi Z, Karimi A. The Effectiveness of earmuffs on the physiologic and behavioral stability in preterm infants. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 2017;98: 43-47.
  8. Sinha KK, Kumar The Effects of Noise on Neonates in the NICU. Indian Journal of Applied Research. 2016; 6(11):47-49.
  9. Wachman EM, Lahav A. The effects of noise on preterm infants in the NICU. Archives of Disease in Childhood-Fetal and Neonatal Edition. 2011;96(4):305–309.  
  10. Almadhoob A, Ohlsson A. Sound reduction management in the neonatal intensive care unitfor preterm or very low birth weight infants (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD010333.
  11. Smith WS, Ortmann AJ, Clar Noise in the neonatal intensive care unit: a new approach to examining acoustic events. Noise Healty. 2018;20(95):121-130.
  12. Manske RL. Interventions to Reduce the Effects of NICU Noise in Preterm Neonates, Honors in the Major Theses. 2017;227.
  13. Schokry Study of Noise Levels in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) in Public Hospitals in Gaza City, Gaza Strip. International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJEIT). 2016;6(4): 2-6.
  14. American Academy of Pediatrics/American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2007). Guidelines for Perinatal Care. 6th edn. Elk Grove Village: IL/Washington, DC.
  15. Fortes-Garrido JC, Velez-Pereira AM, Gazquez M, Hidalgo-Hidalgo M, Bolívar JB. The Caracterization of nois levels in a neonatal intensive care unit and the implications for nois managment. Journal of Environmental Health Science& Engineering. 2014; 12,104:2-8.
  16. Souza SRDB, Lewis EL, Kumar V, Asha K. Noise in neonatal intensive care unit: effects on hospitalized preterm infants. Manipal Journal of Nursing and Health Science. 2015;1 (1): 57-62.
  17. Carvalhais C, Silva MV, Joana Silva, Xavier A, Santos J. Noise in neonatal intensive care units: a short review, Euronoise- Conference Proceedings. Greece. 2018.
  18. Ahamed MF, Campbell D, Horan S, Rosen O. Noise Reduction in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Initiative. American Journal of Medical Quality. 2018;33(2): 177 –184.
  19. Aita M, Goulet C. Assessment of neonatalnurses’ behaviors that prevent overstimulation in preterm infants. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2003; 19(2):109–18.
  20. Abdeyazdan Z, Ghassemi S, Marofi M, Berjis N. Motor responses and weight gaining in neonates through use of two methods of earmuff and receiving silence in NICU. The Scientific World Journal. 2014:5.
  21. Abujarir R, Salama H, Greer W, Al Tahani M, Visda F. The impact of earmuffs on vital signs in the neonatal intensive care unit. Journal of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 2012; 5(3):249–259.
  22. Duran R, Çiftdemir NA, Özbek VÜ, Berberoğlu U, Durankuş F, Süt N. The effects of noise reduction by earmuffs on the physiologic and behavioral responses in very low birth weight preterm infants. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 2012;76: 1490–1493.
  23. Özdemir S, Balcı S. The Effect of Earmuffs on Physiological Parameters in Preterm Infants. Current Pediatric Reviews.2020; 16(9):3-9.
  24. Turk AC, Williams AL, Laskey A randomized clinical trial evaluating silicone earplugs for very low birth weight newborns in intensive care. Journal of Perinatolog. 2009; 29:358–36.
  25. Morris BH, Philbin MK, Bose C. Physiological effects of sound on the newborn. Journal of Perinatology.2000;20:54-59.
  26. Abdeyazdan Z, Ghassemi S, Marofi M. The effects of earmuff on physiologic and motor responses in premature infants admitted in neonatal intensive care unit. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res.2014; 19(2): 107-12.
  27. Aita M, Goulet C, Oberlander TF, Snider L, Johnston C. A randomized controlled trial of eye shields and earmuffs to reduce pain response of preterm infants. J Neonatal Nurs. 2015; 21(3): 93-103.
  28. Bott TS, Urschitz MS, Poets C, Blomberg N, Poets A. A randomized controlled trial on the effect of earmuffs on intermittent hypoxia and bradycardia in preterm infants. Klin Padiatr. 2015; 227(5): 269-73.
  29. Lund CH. Nursing Care. In: Goldsmith J, Karotkin E (eds). Assisted Ventilation of the Neonate 5th ed. Philadelphia: Elseiver, Inc. 2010:126-129.
  30. Ghorbani F, Asadollahi M, Valizadeh S. Comparison the effect of Sleep Positioning on Cardiorespiratory Rate in Noninvasive Ventilated Premature Infants. Nurs Midwifery Stud. 2013;2(2):182-187.
  31. Sá MM, Azevedo R, Neves J, Machado O, Tavares J. Noise in an Intensive Care Nursery/Newborn Unit. J Health Educ Res Dev. 2018;2(6):2380-5439.
  32. Varvara B, Effrossine Effects of Neonatal Intensive
    Care Unite Nursing Conditions in Neonatal NREM Sleep. Journal of Neonatal Nursing. 2016; 22:115-123.

 

 

Iranian Journal of Neonatology
Volume 14, Issue 1
January 2023
Pages 54-61

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics