Aim : To determine the effects of early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) and the influence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) on infants who satisfied the SSC indications by examining the changes in autonomic nervous system and physiological indices in term infants born with normal vaginal delivery.
Methods : Our study population included cases that satisfied indications for implementing SSC. Study A included 12 infants who underwent SSC (SSC group) and 10 who did not (non-SCC group), and Study B included 9 infants with MSAF (SSC with MSAF group) and 12 without it (SSC with clear AF group). We measured heart rate variability (HRV), heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO₂), state of sleep-wakefulness (measured continuously for 2h after birth), respiratory rate (RR), and body temperature (measured every 15 min).
Results : In Study A, irrespective of the presence/absence of SSC, sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activities accelerated at 1h after birth, but after 2h, the SNS activity was suppressed in the SSC group. During SSC, SpO₂ progressed within the normal range of > 95％, and the infants were significantly more often in a state of sleep. In Study B, there was no difference in HRV, HR, RR, temperature, SpO₂, and state of sleep according to the presence/absence of MSAF.
Conclusions : SSC is effective in inducing a state of rest because it induces a state of sleep and suppresses SNS hyperactivity at 2h after birth. When SSC indications are satisfied, we demonstrated, for the first time, that MSAF has no adverse effect on infants.

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Administration in the healthy life expectancy stretching box (50℃ temperature for 30 min) can cause profuse perspiration and an elevation of body temperature, due to the far-infrared-ray emission effects of the interior of the box containing natural rock. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of the healthy life expectancy stretching box on chemotherapy-induced toxicities in patients receiving carboplatindoublet chemotherapy. We prepared two healthy life expectancy stretching boxes with and without the interior of box containing natural rock. 10 subjects were randomly administered with and without the interior of box containing natural rock at 3 and 4 cycles of chemotherapy. Subjects experienced the healthy life expectancy stretching box one day before, one day after, and seven days after carboplatin-doublet chemotherapy. Toxicities including general fatigue, nausea, appetite loss and general condition were assessed using a visual analog scale for a week after the chemotherapy. General fatigue and general condition were significantly improved in patients who experienced the healthy life expectancy stretching box containing natural rock, compared to those in control patients without the experience and without the interior of the box with natural rock. Our results indicate that the healthy life expectancy stretching box is useful for the maintenance of general condition after carboplatin chemotherapy in patients with malignancy.

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