The effect of position on oxygen saturation and heart rate in very low birth weight neonates

Background: Optimal oxygenation in preterm neonates is very important, therefore different measures are recommended to improve their oxygenation. One of these measures is the position of these infants. The studies on the effects of prone and left lateral positions showed conflicting results. So, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of position on arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) and heart rate (HR) in very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates. Methods: This non-randomized simple convenient interventional study was conducted on 40 VLBW 7-28-day infants with 29-35-weeks gestational age using in 2014-2015. The infants were hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit of Rouhani Hospital in Babol. Based on the inclusion criteria, each of them was initially kept in supine position for 120 minutes and then in prone and finally left lateral position for 120-min after 10-min rest. During this period, SaO2 and HR parameters were recorded every 15-min and data were analyzed. Results: The mean of SaO2 was 97.41±1.91%, 96.74±2.09% and 96.14±2.36% in prone, supine and left lateral positions, respectively and this difference was statistically significant (P=0.032). The mean of HR was 146.09±9.65, 148.15±11.46 and 146.02±10.54 (beat/min) in prone, supine and left lateral positions, respectively. HR was normal in all three positions but the HR variability in prone position was slightly less than other positions (P=0.596). Conclusions: The results of the current study indicated that in preterm newborns, the prone position made more desirable oxygenation and HR variability compared to the supine and left lateral positions