The Effect of Gentle Human Touch in Preterm Infants During Heel Lancing
Condition: Heel Lancing
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This randomized controlled experimental study is planned in order to determine the effect of
      gentle human touch on pain, comfort and physiological parameters in preterm infants during
      heel lancing matched for gestational age, gender and birth weight. The study will be
      performed with preterm infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary
      hospital. Ethical committee approval, institutional permission, parental written consent were
      obtained. The therapeutic touch will be applied 10 minutes before the heel lancing, it will
      continue during and after the procedure, a total of 15 minutes of sensitive touch will be
      applied. The practitioner will place one hand on the baby's head and the other hand on the
      lower abdomen covering the waist and hips of the preterm baby for 15 minutes. Before and
      after the study the following were evaluated in preterm infants in the gentle human touch and
      control group: pain, comfort and physiological parameters.
    

Detailed description: 
      This randomized controlled experimental study is planned in order to determine the effect of
      gentle human touch on pain, comfort and physiological parameters in preterm infants during
      heel lancing matched for gestational age, gender and birth weight. The research sample will
      consist of 50 preterm infants who meet the inclusion criteria. In the literature, the number
      of infants varies between 11 and 38 in different studies in which gentle human touch was
      applied to preterm infants. In this study, it was decided that the number of infants in the
      groups should be 25 according to α=95% confidence level and 90% power. In the study, it was
      planned to have 25 infants in the gentle human touch (GHT) and control groups. After reaching
      50 preterm infants in the study, power analysis will be calculated using pain scores and it
      will be decided whether the sample size is sufficient or not. The infants in the GHT group
      will be applied gentle human touch for a total of 15 minutes, starting 10 minutes before the
      heel lancing and continuing during the heel lancing. The infants in the control group will
      not be subjected to any intervention other than their clinical routines, only observation
      will be made. Being 32-37 gestational age weeks, being birth weight of 1500 g and above,
      without a congenital anomaly, not having any disease at birth such as neonatal asphyxia,
      hemolytic status, metabolic disease, skin disease, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA),
      respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and sepsis, no chest tube, not connected to a mechanical
      ventilator, not having intracranial bleeding, not taking any medication other than
      antibiotics and vitamin supplements, not taking opiates and sedatives within 4 hours before
      heel lancing, no painful intervention is applied at least one hour before the heel lancing,
      preterm infants whose mothers gave verbal and written consent will be included in the study.
      Data will be collected with the Questionnare Form, Physiological Parameters Observation Form,
      Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), Premature Infant Comfort Scale (PBIC) and Pulse Oximeter.
    

Intervention name(s): Gentle Human Touch
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Gentle human touch, which has a pain and stress-reducing effect, is a sensitive tactile stimulus applied to the skin, without caress or massage, which provides a kind of relaxation.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care