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Learning Objective 1: To investigate the effectiveness of sleeping time on preterm infants in the prone position.
Learning Objective 2: To investigate the effectiveness of episodes of apnea on preterm infants in the prone position.
Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental with crossover design. Preterm infants recruited for this study were all at a gestational age of 26 to 36 weeks, a postnatal age of 10 or fewer days, and free of congenital abnormalities or sedation. A total of 28 participants were assigned at random to a supine-then-prone or prone-then-supine position sequence. At each position was two to three hours. During this protocol, ventilator and incubator settings remained unchanged, infants didn’t receive any invasive therapy. We took measurements at two hours after supine or prone position. Sleeping time and episodes of apnea were recorded by a Drager monitor. Data were statistically analyzed with independent t-test.
Results: Infants in the prone compared to supine position had increased sleeping time (p< .01) and decreased episodes of apnea (p< .01).
Conclusion: Evidence supports nurses practicing a prone position for preterm infants to increase sleeping time and decrease episodes of apnea. Thus, energy can be stored through body weight gain and hypoxia may be minimized.