The study explores the relationship between the perceived physical attractiveness of premature infants and their health outcomes in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Nurses rated the physical attractiveness of 56 premature infants using a Likert scale, and these ratings were found to have significant correlations with the infants' weight gain and length of hospital stay. Specifically, more attractive infants (as rated by nurses) showed better weight gain and shorter hospital stays compared to those perceived as less attractive.
The study suggests that the physical attractiveness of premature infants influences the level of nurturing they receive, potentially affecting their growth and development. Previous research supports the idea that attractiveness can influence the way adults interact with children, with more attractive children often receiving more attention and positive care. In this study, physical attractiveness was found to be a significant predictor of both weight gain and reduced hospitalization duration, even when factors such as birth weight and medical complications were controlled for.
