This study examined the physiological and behavioral effects of a gentle human touch nursing intervention on
medically fragile preterm infants (27 to 32 weeks gestational age). The Roy adaptation model of nursing was the
framework for the study. The results of this study suggest that the immediate and short-term effects of a gentle human
touch nursing intervention were not aversive or stressful to preterm infants of 27 to 32 weeks gestational age; furthermore,
the findings document several positive, beneficial behavioral effects of the intervention on preterm infants
and indicate this type of touching may be appropriate for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.