Preterm infants’ behavioral state and physiological parameters are affected by environmental noise and adult voices. Only a handful of studies have explored the effects of direct maternal vocal communication on preterm infants’ autonomous nervous system responses. Furthermore, to our knowledge, no study to date has investigated the effect of the father’s voice on preterm infant’s behaviors and physiological parameters. This study evaluated the effects of both mothers’ and fathers’ infant-directed speech on preterm infants’ behavioral states. Fourteen stable, premature infants serving as their own controls were videotaped while their mother and father were speaking to them for 5 min over 2 consecutive days. Infants’ behavioral states and state lability were coded for each voice presentation (father and mother), in the three different conditions, before, during, and after the intervention. Present results show an interaction between vocal intervention and infant behavioral state. Both maternal and paternal speech modified infant behavioral state, but no significant difference in the behavioral state distribution was observed between mother’s and father’s voice presentation. Infants spent more time in a quiet alert state when they heard both voices compared to no vocalization baseline. These findings indicate the importance of both the fathers’ and the mothers’ voice for preterm infants. The parental vocal intervention has an awakening effect. Further studies are needed to better identify the benefits for preterm infants of a relational care approach.

中文翻译：

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父母对婴儿的指导性言语影响新生儿重症监护室中早产儿的行为状态

早产儿的行为状态和生理参数受环境噪声和成人声音的影响。只有少数研究探讨了直接母亲语音交流对早产儿自主神经系统反应的影响。此外，据我们所知，迄今为止，尚无研究调查父亲声音对早产儿行为和生理参数的影响。这项研究评估了母亲和父亲的面向婴儿的言语对早产儿行为状态的影响。连续拍摄了14个稳定，早产的婴儿作为自己的对照，他们的父母在连续2天与他们说话5分钟。在三种不同条件下，为每个语音演示（父亲和母亲）编码了婴儿的行为状态和状态不稳定性，干预之前，之中和之后。目前的结果表明，声音干预与婴儿行为状态之间存在相互作用。母亲和父亲的言语都改变了婴儿的行为状态，但是在母亲和父亲的声音表现之间没有观察到行为状态分布的显着差异。与没有发声基准相比，婴儿在听到两种声音时都处于安静的警戒状态。这些发现表明，父亲和母亲的声音对早产婴儿的重要性。父母的声音干预具有唤醒作用。需要进行进一步的研究，以更好地确定关系护理方法对早产儿的益处。母亲和父亲的言语都改变了婴儿的行为状态，但是在母亲和父亲的声音表现之间没有观察到行为状态分布的显着差异。与没有发声基准相比，婴儿在听到两种声音时都处于安静的警戒状态。这些发现表明，父亲和母亲的声音对早产婴儿的重要性。父母的声音干预具有唤醒作用。需要进行进一步的研究，以更好地确定关系护理方法对早产儿的益处。母亲和父亲的言语都改变了婴儿的行为状态，但是在母亲和父亲的声音表现之间没有观察到行为状态分布的显着差异。与没有发声基准相比，婴儿在听到两种声音时都处于安静的警戒状态。这些发现表明，父亲和母亲的声音对早产婴儿的重要性。父母的声音干预具有唤醒作用。需要进行进一步的研究，以更好地确定关系护理方法对早产儿的益处。与没有发声基准相比，婴儿在听到两种声音时都处于安静的警报状态。这些发现表明，父亲和母亲的声音对早产婴儿的重要性。父母的声音干预具有唤醒作用。需要进行进一步的研究，以更好地确定关系护理方法对早产儿的益处。与没有发声基准相比，婴儿在听到两种声音时都处于安静的警戒状态。这些发现表明，父亲和母亲的声音对早产婴儿的重要性。父母的声音干预具有唤醒作用。需要进行进一步的研究，以更好地确定关系护理方法对早产儿的益处。