Babies born before 37 weeks of gestation are considered premature; they are placed in a special incubator where they are fed through a special tube and blood tests are taken daily. The authors of the study came up with an easy way to relieve pain and discomfort in babies during this period. /wp-content/uploads/2023/03/dc334dd6417f289126aa821b0ed198f3.jpg» />
Doctors in Italy noticed that when a mother talked to her premature baby during medical procedures, his signs of pain decreased and the level of oxytocin, the hormone responsible for attachment, increased. They suggested that the mother's voice has a beneficial effect on the condition of the baby.
To test this hypothesis, the scientists observed 20 premature babies at the Parini hospital for three days. Their mothers were asked to be present at the daily blood draw. For the first time, samples from the heels of children were taken without the presence of parents. The next day, the mothers were asked to talk to their child five minutes before the injection, during the procedure, and after. Sing a song to him for the third time.
Scientists tracked changes in pain with a special test for premature babies that measures responses to a baby's facial expressions, heartbeat, and other physiological parameters on a scale of 1 to 21. All the procedures and behavior of the babies were filmed without sound to evaluate the data without knowing whether the mother was nearby.
During all manipulations, saliva samples were taken from children to measure the level of oxytocin during the experiment.
The results were pleasantly surprised by the researchers: when the child was tested without the presence of the mother, his pain was estimated at 4.5. If the mother talked to him, the indicator dropped to 3, while singing — to 3.8. According to scientists, conversational speech has a better effect on children, since a woman does not have to change her intonations.
Oxytocin tests also confirmed the analgesic effect of a mother's voice: when they talked to and sang to the baby, the level of the attachment hormone almost doubled . According to scientists, this is a very significant increase. and the child not only relieves pain, but also helps parents to survive this difficult period and feel involved in the development of the baby.