Doctoral Dissertations
Date of Award
5-2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
Nursing
Major Professor
Katherine M. Newnam
Committee Members
Jennifer Miller, Patricia Roberson, M. David Yohannan
Abstract
With the birth of a baby, a new family is formed, men and women become fathers and mothers. In 2022, 10.4 percent of all live births were preterm (prior to 37 weeks) in the United States (US). Premature and sick infants are admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at a rate of 7.2 per 100 live births in the US. Parents are separated from their infants by physical distance, as well as physical and technological barriers. Fathers report a delay in bonding due to these barriers as well as fear of their fragile, ill infant. The infant in the NICU is exposed to noxious sounds and at the same time is at risk for decreased exposure to appropriate environmental stimulation in private rooms which may lead to decreased cerebral development and decreased language acquisition. Literature review revealed no studies noting an infant’s physiological response to the father’s live voice and one study exploring the vocal response of the infant to the father’s live voice. The purpose of this study was to explore the infant response to the father’s voice in the NICU with exposure during a structured reading activity. The synactive theory of development guided this study. This study did not find a statistically significant difference in the heart rate, respiratory rate, or oxygen saturation despite a small effect size. No significant change was found in cerebral oxygenation despite a medium effect size. However, this clinically observable rise in cerebral oxygenation during exposure to the father’s voice in this pilot study calls for further investigation. A rise in cerebral oxygenation indicates a decrease in oxygen consumption in the brain. This study also found a lower variability in the heart rate of 68% of infants during exposure to the father’s voice compared to the time period prior to exposure. This again calls for further exploration with a larger participant population. Implications for practice, research, and policy are also presented.
Recommended Citation
Jasin, Lisa Robinson, "The Infant Response to the Father's Voice. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2024.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/10127