Neonatal Procedural Pain and Preterm Infant Cortisol Response to Novelty at 8 Months

Abstract

ELGA preterm infants show a different pattern of cortisol levels before and after positive stimulation of visual novelty than more maturely born, VLGA preterm and term-born infants. Exposure to high numbers of skin-breaking procedures may contribute to "resetting" basal arousal systems in preterm infants.