Buy Article Permissions and Reprints Abstract

Objective This study evaluated the association of parental interactions and therapies with cerebral oxygenation (rScO2) and rScO2 variability in infants using near-infrared spectroscopy.

Study Design Prospective pilot study in clinically stable infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Infants were monitored continuously for 48 hours, and rScO2 during parental interactions and therapies was compared with periods of no activity. rScO2 variability was derived using the root mean of successive squared differences of averaged 1-minute rScO2 values. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was used to compare baseline and activity periods.

Results Data analysis included 23 infants. rScO2 variability increased during periods of parental interaction (p = 0.04) and during combined parental interaction and therapies (p = 0.04).

Conclusion We observed that routine NICU interventions are associated with increased rScO2 variability in clinically stable NICU patients. rScO2 variability may represent a useful biomarker for the early determination of the safety and efficacy of NICU interventions.

Key Points

Low rScO2 variability is linked to poor outcomes.

Parental interactions increase rScO2 variability.

rScO2 variability may be a useful biomarker.

rScO2 variability may predict outcomes.

Keywords near-infrared spectroscopy - cerebral oxygenation - cerebral oxygenation variability - neonatal intensive care unit - parental interaction - neurodevelopment Authors' Contributions

Presley Volkema was the principal investigator for this study. She put patients on/off NIRS monitors, educated nurses, performed data analysis, and wrote the manuscript. L.L. helped design the study, put patients on/off NIRS monitors, and edited the manuscript. M.S. helped with statistical analysis and manuscript editing. S.Z. helped design the study and edit the manuscript.

Ethical Approval and Patient Consent

This study was approved by the IRB and parental consent was obtained. Parents provided informed consent for their children to participate in the study.

Publication History

Received: 06 June 2024

Accepted: 05 October 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
07 October 2024

Article published online:
29 October 2024

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