The Effect Of Neonatal Swimming Therapy On Growth And Development For Premature Infants And Low Birth Infants During Perinatal Period

Objective To recognize and testify the facilitation function of swimming therapy on growthand development for high risk infants. Methods 94 premature infants(gestation aged 34～36weeks),90 low birth weight infants(birth weight ranged 2000g～2499g)and 100 normal newbornswere divided into a swimming group or a control group separately according to the time orderof giving a birth once they were considered medically stable,also the Apgar≥8 when theywere born. The anthropometric (growth) measures, blood glucose, peripheral bloods, 8 selectivedevelopmental items based on neonatal behavioral and neurological assessment (NBNA), and dailymilk intake were recorded and compared between the swimming group and controls during perinatalperiod. Results (1) The neonatal swimming therapy can increase the intake of milk, advancethe weight recovery after the period of physiological weight drop, prolong the sleeping hoursper day, improve sleeping quality and decrease the blood glucose (P＜0.05), but might hasno influence on the weight during perinatal period; (2) There is no significant differencebetween the two groups on the time of the first meconium. However, with the more times ofswimming, swimming therapy plays animportant role in shortening the time of meconium turningyellow, decreasing blood bilirubin on the third day after infants were born in the group ofnormal newborns, and on the seventh day in the group of premature infants and low birth weightinfants(P＜0.05); (3) After seven days, 8 selective developmental items were significantlybetter statistically in the premature infants received swimming therapy compared with controls(P＜0.05). After a month, NBNA in them reached the level of normal newborns'. ConclusionThe neonatal swimming therapy is an safe and early intervention measure which is useful tofacilitate the growth and development for high risk infants.