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Olfactory Stimulation in Premature Neonates: the Relevance of Early Experience

Authors:
Misha Croes
Wei Chen
Loe Feijs
Sidarto Bambang Oetomo

Keywords: NICU; early experience; odors; stress; olfaction.

Abstract:
While in the womb, a fetus experiences olfactory stimulation by means of the surrounding amniotic fluid. This prepares the fetus’s olfactory system to its postnatal life. If a child is born prematurely, it is deprived of this preparation because it is hospitalized in an incubator in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This sudden transformation from the womb to an overly stimulating hospital environment imposes increased stress to the vulnerable neonates. This paper discusses various studies that show the importance of early olfactory stimulation, an approach to improving olfactory stimulation and protection, and suggests examples of implementing these improvements in future research and design.

Pages: 21 to 26

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2012

Publication date: October 21, 2012

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4553

ISBN: 978-1-61208-243-1

Location: Venice, Italy

Dates: from October 21, 2012 to October 26, 2012