One of the most common forms of
tactile stimulation the premature infant
receives from caregivers is stroking
(Harrison et al., 1990). But is this the
most appropriate form of touch for
these fragile infants? Harrison et al.
(1990) suggested that “it may be advisable
to teach parents to modify the types
and amounts of touch they provide” (pp.
882-883). They then suggested that
GHT intervention, originally described
by Jay (1982) as the tactile intervention
of skin-to-skin contact between the infant’s
head and abdomen and the researcher’s
hands, may be an appropriate
form of touch that might promote
extrauterine adaptation in premature
infants.