Premature Infant: Signs of Overstimulation

Extremely premature infants are born before the nervous system is mature enough to handle outside stimuli without becoming overstimulated. Such an infant is said to have a disorganized nervous system.

If your premature infant has a disorganized nervous system, you may notice physical reactions (destabilization) in the presence of too much sound, touch, movement, or light, including:

• A drop in blood oxygen levels (oxygen desaturation).
• A drop in heart rate (bradycardia).
• A rapid heart rate (tachycardia).
• Looking away from you when you speak or make eye contact, a more subtle sign of overstimulation.

If you see such signs, give your infant some peace and quiet. The next time you're together, try only one stimulus at a time (such as touch or voice, but not both).

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