Cortisol
and Behavioral Responses to Stress in Newborn Infants
K. Takai-Kawakami, K. Kawakami, Y. Shimizu & T. Yanaihara |
Five-day-old
infants' responses to stress while being heelstuck were examined.
Behavioral responses as well as the adrenocortical responses of cortisol
release were used as measures of manifest and internal stress response.
We divided 67 infants into two groups-those who presented no sounds
during the "heelstick" (C group) and those to whom heartbeat
sounds were presented during the "heelstick" (E group).
Heartbeat sounds were presented to infants at 85 dB. The C group
showed more reactive adrenocortisol release and more behavioral responses
than the E group. We found the calming effect of heartbeat sounds
on stress in newborn infants.
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