: Healing Environment
The first neuroprotective core measure described in the Neonatal
Integrative Developmental Care Model is the “Healing Environment.”
The healing environment encompasses the physical environment of
space, privacy and safety, and the sensory environment of temperature
and touch, proprioception, smell, taste, sound, and light. The
NICU is where an extraordinary period of growth and development
will take place for premature infants. Because the infant is no longer
protected in the uterus, the physiologic and neuroprotective needs
have dramatically changed.
The physical environment involves not only space but also
characteristics of space, which affect position, movement, and motor
development. The sensory environment includes the exposures and
experiencing of temperature and touch, position and movement,
smell and taste, hearing and noise, vision and light. Environmental
sensory insults can result in lifelong alterations in brain development
and function.40 The chemical environment includes both nutritional
and toxic exposures. Factors from the chemical environment are
capable of having not only direct effects on the fetus or infant but also
epigenetic effects that alter gene expression