Very preterm (VPT) infants are exposed to odors released by healthcare products, triggering the trigeminal and olfactory subsystems. Irritation of the nasal mucosa induces pain in adults. We examined whether preterm and full-term (FT) newborns perceived trigeminal odors at different cortical levels, whether these odors elicit pain, and if oral glucose modulates this pain. We performed 44 recording sessions in newborn (15 VPT infants, 12 VPT infants at term-equivalent age, and 17 FT infants) following exposure to trigeminal/olfactory stimuli from the hospital environment. We repeated the exposure after oral glucose administration. We recorded cortical activation in the olfactory, frontal, and somatosensory cortices by functional near-infrared spectroscopy, and analyzed pain behaviors from videotaped recordings. Newborns integrated trigeminal/olfactory stimuli in trigeminal/olfactory and nociceptive processing areas beginning at 31 weeks postmenstrual age, and also exhibited pain behaviors. Pain scores were positively associated with the level of cortical activation. Oral glucose inhibited pain behaviors and cortical activation. There were developmental differences in cortical integration related to brain maturation and duration of the extra-uterine experience. In conclusion, VPT and FT infants showed trigeminal sensitivity after exposure to alien odors that induce pain, potentially affecting the wiring of the neuronal circuits of the newborn brain.
AimThe aim was to determine whether preterm and full‐term newborn infants could process maternal breast odour at a cortical level.MethodsNewborn infants were exposed to cloths containing their own mother's breast odour and freshly laundered control cloths for 10 seconds, while functional near‐infrared spectroscopy measured cortical activation in their olfactory processing areas. We studied 45 newborn infants born at 28‐41 weeks of gestation and divided them into three groups: full‐term (37‐41 weeks), late preterm (33‐36 weeks) and very preterm (28‐32 weeks). Cortical activation was defined as a regional increase of oxyhaemoglobin following maternal breast odour stimuli.ResultsFull‐term infants demonstrated bilateral activation of their olfactory cortices following exposure to maternal breast odour. Late preterm infants and very preterm boys exhibited unilateral cortical activation, unlike very preterm girls.ConclusionInfants born from 32 weeks, and possibly earlier, could process low concentration maternal odours at a cortical level, which suggests they were more aware of their environment. These findings could make a significant contribution to improving the sensory environment of preterm infants and improve bonding.
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