2002 Conference Proceedings - Interior Design Educators Council

We speculate that although infants in the new transitional unit consumed more calories,they may have used more energy in their interactions with parents who visited morefrequently. Importantly, the steady weight gain and lower number of apneic andbradycardic episodes suggest that infants in the newer unit were better behaviorallyorganized, a critical step in their ability to develop into healthy infants and children (Als,1982). That these infants also stayed in the hospital fewer days than infants in the olderunit is further support for our speculation. We also are encouraged that infants requiringtransitional care could be relocated to an existing space within the hospital, that parentscould more comfortably interact with their infants, and that the staff could adjust tosignificant changes in the delivery of care.ReferencesAls, H. (1982). Toward a synactive theory of development: Promise for the assessmentand support of infant individuality. Infant Mental Health Journal, 3:4, 229 – 243.13