The preterm infants have to stay in the incubator after birth, and the lying positions have great impacts on their growth and development. This study aims to examine the influences of different lying positions on the preterm infants’ physiological parameters. Quasi-experimental design was applied in this study. Participants were preterm infants choosing from a neonatal intensive care unit at a medical center in northern Taiwan. The preterm infants who met the inclusion criteria were positioned sequentially in four different lying positions by the researcher. The physiological parameters of the participants were measured every minute for 30 consecutive minutes after the lying position had been changed and maintained for 30 minutes. A total of 60 preterm infants were enrolled in this study. The results of the means of the physiological parameters in supine, lateral, prone or semiprone positions are as follows: heart rates are 156, 155, 155 and 155 beats per minute; respiratory rates are 45.4, 45.7, 45.2 and 45.3 times per minute; oxygenation saturations (SaO2) are 96.2, 96.4, 97.0 and 97.3 % respectively. The level of SaO2 is significantly higher in prone and semiprone positions (p<.001) than in supine and lateral positions. There are fewer episodes of vital signs indicating potential stress in prone and semiprone positions than in supine and lateral positions (p<.001). The frequencies of abnormal data in SaO2 are less occurred in semiprone position than in the prone position (p<.001). This study indicates that lying in semiprone position provided a better oxygenation for preterm infants.
The preterm infants have to stay in the incubator after birth, and the lying positions have great impacts on their growth and development. This study aims to examine the influences of different lying positions on the preterm infants’ physiological parameters. Quasi-experimental design was applied in this study. Participants were preterm infants choosing from a neonatal intensive care unit at a medical center in northern Taiwan. The preterm infants who met the inclusion criteria were positioned sequentially in four different lying positions by the researcher. The physiological parameters of the participants were measured every minute for 30 consecutive minutes after the lying position had been changed and maintained for 30 minutes. A total of 60 preterm infants were enrolled in this study. The results of the means of the physiological parameters in supine, lateral, prone or semiprone positions are as follows: heart rates are 156, 155, 155 and 155 beats per minute; respiratory rates are 45.4, 45.7, 45.2 and 45.3 times per minute; oxygenation saturations (SaO2) are 96.2, 96.4, 97.0 and 97.3 % respectively. The level of SaO2 is significantly higher in prone and semiprone positions (p<.001) than in supine and lateral positions. There are fewer episodes of vital signs indicating potential stress in prone and semiprone positions than in supine and lateral positions (p<.001). The frequencies of abnormal data in SaO2 are less occurred in semiprone position than in the prone position (p<.001). This study indicates that lying in semiprone position provided a better oxygenation for preterm infants.