This pilot clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effects of vestibular stimulation, through Hammock-positioning therapy (HPT) or by multidirectional balancing, administered during physical therapy, on movement repertoire, sleep-wakefulness state, and pain in late preterm infants. The newborns were randomly allocated into two groups: 1) vestibular sensory stimulation by HPT (HG) and 2) conventional vestibular stimulation (CG). Movement repertoire was evaluated using the General Movement Assessment (GMA), sleep-wakefulness state was evaluated using the Adapted Brazelton Scale, finally pain was evaluated by the Neonatal Facial Activity Coding System (NFCS). An increase in normal GMAs and a reduction in abnormal GMAs was observed in the HG group after intervention. An Improvement in the sleep-wakefulness state scores was observed in the HG group. In the CG group, same improvements were seen. In conclusion, HPT has a positive effect on the sleep-wakefulness state and movement repertoire in late preterm infants similar to the conventional group.
Keywords: Movement repertoire; neonatal ICU; preterm infants; vestibular sensory stimulation.