Positioning strategies for premature newborns: implications for neonatal nursing care/Estrategias de posicionamento do recem-nascido prematuro: reflexoes para o cuidado de enfermagem neonatal/Estrategias de posicionamento del recien nacido prematuro: reflexiones para el cuidado de enfermeria neonatal

This literature review aimed to identify the scientific production on the positioning of premature newborns in the incubator. Methodology: the strategy used was an electronic database survey of the Virtual Health Library, from which Brazilian and international articles published from 2000 to 2011 were selected. After reading, data were categorized and analyzed, and reflections on the material acquired were drafted. Analysis of the documents showed that therapeutic positioning directly affects the premature's physiological functions, promoting optimization of the respiratory function, reduction of reflux episodes and gastric emptying time, in addition to intervening in cerebral circulation and neurobehavioral development. It was concluded that positioning of premature newborns constitutes extremely important care, because it influences their physiology. However, scientific production on nursing in this area is still only incipient.