40

Gentle touch stimulations (GTS) are moments of gentle affective touch that provide optimal stimulation of C-tactile (CT) neurons. Research has shown that this specific subclass of unmyelinated cutaneous mechanosensory nerves plays a key role in the physiological regulation of the autonomic nervous system and the social development of infants. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of a daily GTS intervention on the frequency and duration of maternal GTS at the time of reunion after a Still Face (SF) procedure. To examine this impact, an intervention group (GTS) was compared to a control group (CTRL). The infants were aged six to twelve weeks. Data was collected at two points in time with a one-month gap in between. We performed a second-by-second microanalysis of three types of touch at the time of reunion: (i) GTS touch, (ii) physical contact, and (iii) absence of physical contact. Our results showed that over time the average duration of GTS became significantly shorter in both groups and that this duration seemed to correspond to the average of present moments. Moments without physical contact decreased more in the GTS group than in the CTRL group. In addition, the maximum duration of physical contact (non-GTS touch) became longer in both groups. We suggest that the GTS might become more efficient over time and therefore take less time to achieve its regulatory effect. Furthermore, we offer a reflection on the role that GTS could play in the development of intersubjectivity using Stern’s theories on present moments of intersubjectivity.