Prematurity and Development Outcomes Effects

Prematurity and Development Outcomes

Effects of sound and light on premature children

Prematurity and development in babies is a common happening in the world today. Children born before they are mature enough is on the augment in various societies and healthcare stations. According to Avery et al. (2005), many children are born when they are premature. They are not able to adapt to the instant changes they encounter when they are born. It is common knowledge that the external conditions do not favor an immediate change when an infant is exposed to it. According to Tecklin, (2008), this has led to modifications of conditions and environments, which suits these kinds of babies. Within these centers, which care for prematurely born babies, premature children are able to access equitable environmental conditions and needs, which are required for their swift growth and development, together with their survival. As reiterated by Tecklin, (2008), some of the conditions in which these children are exposed do not favor them at all. This study seeks to find out the effects of sound and light on premature children, achieved after an observation was made when the visit to NICU materialized (Avery et al., 2005).

Body systems of premature babies react differently to react negatively to intense light, (Brodsky & Ouellette, 2007). Light affects the natural functioning of the eyes in premature babies. Lighting conditions as those placed in incubators affect the very premature babies view and visually feel the nature of the environment. Light is naturally unmarked or censored for human direct use. According to Brodsky & Ouellette (2007), light comes to human eyes in under high intensities. This can destroy the various organs and their functioning in the human eyes since at this age or tenderness, the particular cells and organs which are used for sight by the child have not fully developed and matured Tecklin, (2008), reiterates that fact that people have varying capabilities in their eyes, to respond to the conditions in the environment. Children with premature characteristics get affected with intense or even little exposure of light.

According to Tecklin, (2008), human growth and development involve different parts of the body. The magnitude of development of the various organs, like skin and kidneys, take time while the baby is inside the womb. With premature babies, the development of the various organs and cells which make up the eyes of such infants have not yet developed before the baby gets to the right time of birth. When such babies are born, they will automatically find it difficult to make use of their sight organs. This is also made worse by the fact that the natural light has high intensities that cannot be supported by human naked eyes. According to Brodsky & Ouellette (2007), High intensity light can destroy the eyes of an individual. With premature babies, any category of light, as that applied in the incubators, has the capacity to affect on the normal working of the baby's eyes.

Within the incubators, the children appeared to struggle to any presence of light. This was characterized by winking, crying, wateriness of eyes, and other physical precepts. Their eyes are automatically not capable of supporting such a high intensity of light even though the light used in most environments of this kind is artificial. Light appeared to cause some certain form of instability and pain to the infants. Majority of the premature babies keep their eyes closed in order to avoid direct entry of light rays into them. According to Brodsky & Ouellette (2007), the cells within the eyes have not matured enough to process the amount of light intensity into the eyes. In most cases, such children will end up having impaired eyesight due to the conditions they were exposed to when they were young and developing.

Moreover, light was notable to result in stress among the premature babies in the incubators. As stated by Brodsky & Ouellette, (2007), stress is an unfavorable or unpleasant feeling that people often feel due to intriguing or unpalatable situations or pain. In most cases, too much light causes stress to people with normal eyesight. Premature babies undergo some stress when exposed to light. More often, they are seen closing and opening their eyes regularly within very short intervals. When the lighting system is faint, they partially open their eyes while some have them closed totally. This is an evidence that light must be very destructive to the development of infant premature babies (Brodsky & Ouellette, 2007).

According to Brodsky and Ouellette, (2007), the fluctuations or variations of light into the incubators containing premature babies are beneficial to their general growth and development. Besides the fact that children need further exposure to the light/sun in order to develop their bones, light facilitates enhanced growth and development. Therefore, it is an essential element in the eyes of the children as well as in their entire bodies. The variations in the intensity of light in the incubators enabled the infants to develop their adaptation into embracing light into their bodies and eyes.

Sound is the other aspect, which appeared to have some varying effects on premature babies. According to Huttenlocher, (2002), sound is a transfer of energy through the air. It is transferred as an energy that can only be detected by the ears. It is a wave of energy, which carries certain aspects as that involved with communication. Like any other aspect, which affects premature babies, sound is an environmental aspect. It is variable and can be transformed from one notion to another with the intention of varying it in the environment. In many cases, sound increases the negative effects than positive (Huttenlocher, 2002). This is more so with infants and premature babies.

As claimed by Bradford, (2000), Sound is vulnerable to the absorption of a young and developing infant, who is premature. Sound, as a form of energy, has the capacity to destroy part of the organs or cells in the ears of an individual. This is when sound of intensified capacities gets to the ears of an individual. Naturally, too much sound destroys the eardrum of an individual. As observed in NICU, most premature children appeared to react negatively and stressfully to the effects of sound. According to Bradford, the normality of hearing by the premature babies is interfered by Sound. It is sentimental to their natural living and response to nature through hearing. Just as it happens with sight, sound is not necessary destructive among young and premature babies. The hearing mechanism is not well developed and mature for the premature babies to respond well to the effects of sound from the environment. This is because the environment is full of many kinds of sounds. Sound causes stress to such babies. They cause irritation, discomfort, and pain to the premature babies. Babies will appear to turn side by side in the case of high tones or loud music within the incubators (Bradford, 2000).