CARDIORESPIRATORY REACTIVITY DURING THE BRAZELTON SCALE IN TERM AND PRETERM INFANTS

Determined the relationship between behavior measured with the Brazelt on Scale and simultaneously recorded cardiorespiratory activity. The B razelton Scale was administered and videotaped in a sample of 22 term and 22 preterm infants at term conceptional age. The videotapes were c oded off line with a computer interface to time lock behavior and phys iological activity for the duration of four alert, non-crying conditio ns. Term infants showed increases in heart rate and breathing rate whe n unswaddled and cuddled following cry and increases in respiratory si nus arrhythmia (RSA) during orientation and swaddling. Preterm infants showed the same general trend as term infants in heart rate and breat hing rate. However, RSA decreased during orientation in preterm infant s. On behavioral scores, preterm infants showed lower scores on self-r egulation and a higher cost of attention. Correlations between behavio r and physiological activity showed lower RSA associated with enhanced behavioral scores for the preterm infants. Results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that attentional responsivity in the pr eterm infant may be at the expense of physiological stability.