Connie Morrow

Massage Reduces Anxiety in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Patients

A 30-minute back massage was given daily for a 5-day period to 52 hospitalized depressed and adjustment disorder children and adolescents. Compared with a control group who viewed relaxing videotapes, the massaged subjects were less depressed and anxious and had lower saliva cortisol levels after the massage. In addition, nurses rated the subjects as being less anxious and more cooperative on the last day of the study, and nighttime sleep increased over this period. Finally, urinary cortisol and norepinephrine levels decreased, but only for the depressed subjects.

Mothers with zero Beck depression scores act more “depressed” with their infants

Mothers who scored zero on the Beck Depression Inventory ( N = 25) were compared to “depressed” mothers (high scores on the Beck) ( N = 39) and nondepressed mothers ( N = 98) during face-to-face interactions with their 5-month-old infants. The interaction videotapes were rated on the Interaction Rating Scales and were coded second-by-second for attentive/affective behavior states. The zero Beck mothers and their infants received lower ratings and were in less positive behavior states (alone or together) than the high scoring Beck “depressed” mother/infant dyads and even more frequently than the nondepressed mother/infant dyads. The lower activity levels, lesser expressivity, and less frequent vocalizing were suggestive of “depressed” behavior in both the mothers and their infants. In addition, the infants of the zero Beck mothers had lower vagal tone and lower growth percentiles (weight, length, and head circumference) than the infants of nondepressed mothers, although they did not differ from the infants of depressed mothers on these measures. These data suggest that mothers who report no depressive symptoms may present as much, if not greater risk, for their infants than mothers who do report depressive symptoms on the Beck Depression Inventory.

Differential effects of massage and Heelstick procedures on transcutaneous oxygen tension in preterm neonates

Abstract The present study investigated the differential effects of heelsticks and tactile-kinesthetic massage on transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2) in preterm infants. The sample was comprised of 37 stabilized preterm neonates from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. During the heelstick procedure, TcPO2 significantly declined an average of 14 mmHg. When compared to the tactile-kinesthetic massage, TcPO2 levels during the heelstick (M = 39.8) were significantly lower than during the stimulation (M = 72.8). Mean TcPO2 levels remained clinically safe during the four massage sessions evaluated. The TcPO2 levels during kinesthetic stimulation were somewhat more varied, and movement and pressurization of the TcPO2 electrode were investigated as possible artifactual explanations for this phenomenon. Overall, the findings indicate that social forms of touch such as tactile-kinesthetic massage do not appear to have a medically compromising effect on TcPO2 in the preterm neonate. These findings are evaluated in relation to the “minimal touch” policy, and implications for future handling of the stabilized preterm neonate are discussed.

Transcutaneous oxygen tension in preterm neonates during neonatal behavioral assessments and heelsticks.

This study evaluates the effects of neonatal behavioral assessments and heelsticks on transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2) in 37 preterm neonates from a neonatal intensive care unit. Two behavioral assessments were evaluated, the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (BNBAS) and the Neurobehavioral Assessment for Preterm Infants (NAPI). TcPO2, during heelsticks was used as a comparison because reliable decreases have typically been noted during heelsticks. Although the heelsticks resulted in significant declines in TcPO2, the behavioral assessments led to only negligible changes in TcPO2. Observed changes during the behavioral assessments occurred in a small number of infants, primarily during the few test procedures administered to the infants outside of their isolettes. Accordingly, it is suggested that time outside the isolette and associated temperature changes may be more critical variables than the assessments perse.