Does Neurophysiological Facilitation (NPF) influence respiratory
function in a preterm infant with respiratory distress? A Case Report
Abstract
Background: Infants born between 28 to 32 weeks of gestation
require assisted ventilation or oxygen support due to respiratory
distress syndrome. Neurophysiological facilitation (NPF) is the use of
selective external proprioceptive and tactile stimuli. It further
normalizes the rate & depth of breathing by influencing the
length-tension relationship of muscles. NPF has shown improvement in
ventilation capacity & oxygen saturation level among adult ventilated
patients. Biomechanical understanding of the preterm infant’s ribcage
musculature was a prerequisite for administering the NPF technique in
this case report. Case Presentation: We report a case of
29-week preterm infant with respiratory distress syndrome who received
NPF techniques. Outcome measure: modified Downes Score, Silverman
Anderson Score, and vitals such as oxygen saturation and respiratory
rate. It was found that administration of NPF intervention to the infant
lead to the reduction of chest retractions, an increase in the oxygen
saturation level, and a faster trend of early weaning off the
ventilator. The infant was completely off from Continuous Positive
Airway Pressure (CPAP) and was on room air by day 14 of life.
Conclusion: Techniques like NPF might promote better
respiratory function in a preterm infant with respiratory distress.