Olfactory Stimulation in Premature Neonates: The Relevance of Early Experience

摘要

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.