The effects of massage therapy and white noise application on premature infants' sleep.

AIM: Sleep is vital to premature infants' physical, social and emotional development. The significance of sleep duration, efficiency, and function in premature infants regarding growth development, behavior and neurological development has been increasing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in a randomized controlled experimental design with three groups. Premature infants at 28-37 weeks of gestation who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Sanliurfa Mehmet Akif Inan Training and Research Hospital Haliliye Annex Building were the research population. The sample of the present study consisted of 120 premature infants in the massage therapy group (40), white noise group (40), and control group (40). RESULTS: The sleep duration and sleep efficiency of the premature infants in the massage group increased compared to before the application, whereas the number of awakenings and WASO values decreased. The sleep duration of premature infants in the massaged group increased by some five hours. In the white noise group, the sleep duration increased by about two hours than the pre-treatment, and there was an increase in sleep efficiency. White noise application provided a significant decrease in the number of awakenings and WASO values in premature infants. CONCLUSION: In this experimental study, which was designed with three groups, it was revealed that massage and white noise application in premature infants were significant non-pharmacological methods to increase sleep duration and sleep efficiency. It was concluded that massage therapy and white noise application is one of the considerable interventions regarding sleep duration, efficiency and functions in premature infants who left the intrauterine period early.

The Effects of a Therapeutic Play/Play Therapy Program on the Fear and Anxiety Levels of Hospitalized Children After Liver Transplantation.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to analyze the effects of a therapeutic play/play therapy (TP/PT) program on anxiety levels and fear of medical procedures in children with liver transplant. DESIGN: The study had a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. METHODS: Sixty-five children aged between 6 and 12 years were included in this study. A children's information form, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, and the Medical Procedure Fear Scale were used for data collection. FINDINGS: The application of the TP/PT program resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the children's anxiety levels and fears about medical procedures (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: The TP/PT program had a positive effect on the children's fear and anxiety levels regarding certain medical procedures. Pediatric nurses can use the TP/PT program to reduce children's anxiety and fears about medical procedures.

Reducing Children's Pain and Parents' Anxiety in the Postoperative Period: A Therapeutic Model in Turkish Sample.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the effect of a new therapeutic model (a therapeutic play/play therapy (TP/PT) program) on alleviating pain in children receiving inpatient treatment in paediatric surgery units and parents' anxiety levels in the post-operative period. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study was designed as a semi-experimental model using the TP/PT program. Four measurements (pre-test, two interim tests and post-test) for children and two measurements (pre-test and post-test) for parents were performed. The data were collected using the Child and Parent Information Form, the Wong-Baker Faces Pain (WBFP) Rating Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS: The mean pain score for children after TP/PT decreased in each measurement, and a significant difference was found between these measurements. The mean state anxiety score for parents significantly decreased after the TP/PT program, and a statistically significant difference was found between these measurements (p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: This study determined that the post-operative TP/PT program was an effective method to reduce acute post-operative pain in children. Parental anxiety levels were found to correlate with levels of pre- and post-operative pain in children. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The findings of this study provide a basis for using a new therapeutic model that is easy to apply and effective for reducing children's pain and parents' anxiety.