The effects of vestibular stimulation rate and magnitude of acceleration on central pattern generation for chest wall kinematics in preterm infants

Objective: To examine the role of vestibular inputs on respiratory and oromotor systems in healthy preterm infants. Study Design: A total of 27 preterm infants were quasi-randomly assigned to either the VestibuGlide treatment or control groups. VestibuGlide infants were held in a developmentally supportive position, given a pacifier and received a series of vestibular stimuli, counterbalanced across rate and acceleration conditions, 15 min 3 times per day for 10 days. The control infants were also held in a developmentally supportive position, given a pacifier for 15 min 3 times per day for 10 days but did not receive the VestibuGlide stimulation. Result: A multilevel regression model revealed that treatment infants increased their respiratory rate in response to vestibular stimulus, and that the highest level of vestibular acceleration delivered to the infants (0.51 m s (2)) resulted in a significant increase in breaths per minute. Conclusion: Vestibular stimulation delivered to preterm infants before scheduled feeds effectively modulates respiratory rate and resets the respiratory central pattern generator. Journal of Perinatology (2012) 32, 614620; doi: 10.1038/jp.2011.177; published online 8 December 2011