Face Perception and Impact of Surgical Masks in Preterm Infants

Face Perception and Impact of Surgical Masks in Preterm Infants

The preferences to masked and unmasked faces is relevant for premature newborns, since Covid-19, most of the faces that surround them during their hospitalization are masked. The Premask project is a continuation of the InfantMask and BabyMask studies (concerning infant and newborn), by studying the visual preferences to masked and unmasked faces of premature newborns.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All preterm infants born before 32SA arriving at term (at≥37SA) hospitalized in the neonatology department of the pediatric hospital of Grenoble and approaching discharge will be included.

Of the potential participants meeting the inclusion criteria, those with at least 1 of the following exclusion criteria will not be eligible for inclusion in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Parents not fluent in French
• Parents with no social security rights
• Patient with a syndromic disorder
• Abnormal neurological examination Invasive or non-invasive ventilation at the time of testing of babies requiring, at the time of testing at ≥37SA, non-invasive or invasive ventilatory support as well as labeled syndromic or ophthalmologic disease of prematurity (retinopathies).
• Infection requiring isolation
• Ophthalmologic impairment of prematurity (retinopathy)