Skin conductance and the stress response from heel stick in preterm infants
H Storm
Department of
Paediatric Research and Section on Neonatalogy, Department of
Paediatrics, The National Hospital, Oslo, Norway
Correspondence to: Dr Storm email: hanne.storm{at}klinmed.uio.no
Accepted 17 May 2000
AIM
To evaluate
whether spontaneous skin conductance activity is an objective method
for measuring the stress response to painful stimuli in premature
infants. The number and amplitude of the waves and the baseline
increase with the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.
METHODSIn 20 preterm
infants of gestational age 
29 weeks, behavioural state and
spontaneous skin conductance activity variables were measured for three
minutes before, during, and for three minutes after heel stick.
RESULTSThe number of
waves (p < 0.001), the amplitude of the waves (p = 0.001), and the
level of the behavioural state (p < 0.001) increased during heel
stick, and then decreased to levels found before the procedure. The
baseline increased both during (p < 0.001) and after heel stick
(p < 0.001), compared with levels before.
CONCLUSIONSpontaneous
skin conductance activity reflects the stress response to heel stick in
premature infants from at least 29 weeks of gestational age.
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Key messages
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Keywords: arousal; heel stick; premature infants; skin conductance activity; stress; pain
© 2000 by Archives of Disease in Childhood
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This article has been cited by other articles:
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Gjerstad, A. C., Wagner, K., Henrichsen, T., Storm, H.
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