The Effect of White Noise and Swaddling on Pain, Heart Rate, and Oxygen Saturation in Term İnfants Undergoing Eye Examinations

Eye examinations for vision screening in infants cause pain and stress. Aim: To evaluate the effect of white noise and swaddling on pain, heart rate, and oxygen saturation in term infants undergoing post-discharge eye examinations. This study was conducted with term infants born 30-36 days postpartum who visited the ophthalmologic outpatient clinic for eye screening. A total of 120 term infants were included in the sample, divided into three intervention groups: the white noise group (n=30), the swaddling group (n=30), and the white noise + swaddling group (n=30), along with a control group (n=30). Data were collected by the clinic nurse before the eye examination, 30 seconds into the examination, and at the end of the examination. The Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) scale and pulse oximetry were used for data collection.There was no statistically significant difference in pain scores, heart rates, or oxygen saturation (SpO2) between the intervention and control groups (p\>0.05). In all groups, pain scores and heart rates were higher, and SpO2 values were lower after the ophthalmologic examination than before the examination (p\<0.001).Swaddling + white noise, white noise, and swaddling during the eye examination procedure did not affect reducing infants' pain or improving heart rate and oxygen saturation values.