The Effect of Exposure to Maternal Human Milk Odor on Physiological State of Preterms.

Sheba Medical Center

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Incubator Stay; Human Milk Nutrition; Health Preterm Infants With no Active Disease

Treatments: Other: adding pad with maternal milk in hte incubator

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01012505

SHEBA-09-7392-AM-CTIL

Details and patient eligibility

About

Mammalian fetal sensory development comes in an invariant series, with the tactile/kinesthetic and chemosensory systems the earliest functioning and responsive to stimulation, implicating the importance of these foundational sensory systems for later development. Olfaction is essential for neonatal behavioral adaptation in many mammals, including humans. Experiments show that newborns recognize, and are soothed by, the smell of amniotic fluid. Provision of the mother's smell with breast pads, handkerchiefs she has worn, breast milk on a cotton ball or cotton applicator, or other means of providing odor and taste input can facilitate recognition by the infant's mother at a later time and does not appear to be detrimental to the stability of the infant.

Provision of the odor and taste of the mother's milk has been shown to facilitate the infant's mouthing, sucking, arousal, and calming from irritability, especially in preparation for oral feeding. Using 24 hour monitor analysis and cortisol saliva measurements, we will provide quantitive analysis to the effect of smell.

Enrollment: 20 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 7 days to 4 weeks old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• preterm infants at least 1 week of age
• no active disease or treatment (like respiratory support)
• place in incubator

Exclusion criteria

• active disease or treatment

Trial design

20 participants in 1 patient group

20 preterm infants

Description:

20 preterm infants without active disease

Treatment:

Other: adding pad with maternal milk in hte incubator