Parent-guided early intervention for preterm babies improves motor skills

Researchers have concluded, unsurprisingly, that preterm infants randomized to enhanced developmental support had better developmental outcomes than infants whose caregivers did not receive the training. The researchers started with the very safe hypothesis that enhanced developmental support provided by caregivers — mothers, mainly — would improve the outcomes of infants born preterm to families with low income. They used an intervention which included training and was provided by a multidisciplinary team with specialized knowledge of early intervention and infant development. The training began in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and continued after the infant was discharged.