Basal Skin Conductance and Neonatal State

Basal skin conductance was correlated with activity and respiration measures in a sample of 40 white bottle-fed human newborns divided into four equal groups by sex and parity. The age range was 60-110 hours. A significant positive correlation average was obtained between activity level and conductance. The average correlation between respiration rate and conductance was not significant until the recording interval was extended over several minutes. In general, conductance was not as strongly related to the sleep levels of the arousal continuum as it was to the higher levels. Females were significantly higher in conductance than males, and infants born to multiparae were significantly higher than those born to primiparae.