Effectiveness of Sensory Stimulation for Improving Sleep Quality in Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review
Sijia Li
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYing Lin
Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorXiao Chen
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYaman Zhao
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYaying Xiao
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Shuo Wang
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Correspondence:
Shuo Wang ([email protected])
Jihong Song ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Jihong Song
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Correspondence:
Shuo Wang ([email protected])
Jihong Song ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorSijia Li
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYing Lin
Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorXiao Chen
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYaman Zhao
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYaying Xiao
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Shuo Wang
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Correspondence:
Shuo Wang ([email protected])
Jihong Song ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Jihong Song
The School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Correspondence:
Shuo Wang ([email protected])
Jihong Song ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorFunding: This work was supported by Fujian Province Science and Technology Innovation Joint Fund Project (2020Y9102).
Sijia Li and Ying Lin made equal contributions to this manuscript.
ABSTRACT
Background
Sleep is crucial for preterm infants; however, their immaturity and hospital-related disturbances can lead to poor sleep quality. Recently, sensory stimulation has been used to promote sleep quality; however, comprehensive evidence regarding its effectiveness is lacking.
Aim
The review aimed to evaluate sensory stimulation's effectiveness and different interventions on the sleep quality of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Study Design
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Different databases and grey literature were searched from inception to March 2024. Randomized controlled trials examining the effects of sensory stimulation on sleep quality among preterm infants. The Cochrane risk of bias tool (ROB 2.0) evaluated bias risk. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach evaluated evidence certainty for each meta-analysis outcome. RevMan version 5.3 was used to perform meta-analysis. The study was registered with the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews.
Results
Twenty studies involving 1297 premature infants met the inclusion criteria. Sensory stimulation could improve sleep duration and quiet sleep efficiency (QS%), but it had no significant effect on the active sleep efficiency (AS%). In the subgroup analysis based on sensory type and number, auditory and multi-sensory stimulation significantly extended sleep duration. Auditory and tactile stimulation did not significantly affect QS%, but tactile stimulation had favourable effects on AS%. Multi-sensory stimulation also had beneficial effects on QS%.
Conclusions
Sensory stimulation is beneficial for improving the sleep quality of preterm infants, but the evidence quality is moderate to very low. Intervention types may have affected their effects. Future research should explore the specificity of sensory stimulation and multidisciplinary collaboration strategies, and high-quality, low-heterogeneity clinical trials are needed.
Relevance to Clinical Practice
Evidence from this study suggests integrating sensory stimulation protocols into standard care regimens for preterm infants. Furthermore, NICU nurses should implement systematic sleep assessments to identify sleep disturbances and administer targeted sensory stimulation.
Trial Registration: This review was registered on the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO protocol number: CRD42024520762)
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Open Research
Data Availability Statement
Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.
Supporting Information
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| nicc70089-sup-0001-AppendixS1.docxWord 2007 document , 45.2 KB |
Appendix S1. PRISMA checklist. Appendix S2. Search strategies in each included databases. |
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
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