Salivary Cortisol and Behavioral State Responses of Healthy Newborn Infants to Tactile-Only and Multisensory Interventions

Tactile-only stimulation may increase infant stress reactivity while the benefit of the multisensory auditory, tactile, visual, and vestibular intervention may be in the reduction of infant stress reactivity. Interventions appeared to have minimal effect on stress reactivity based on behavioral state.