Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026
Home-Based EEG Hyperscanning for Infant-Caregiver Social Interactions
Published on: May 31, 2024
A randomized controlled trial of a home-visiting intervention on cognition and behavior in term low birth weight
Julie Meeks Gardner1, Susan P Walker, Christine A Powell
1Epidemiology Research Unit, Tropical Medicine Research Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica. julie.meeksgardner@uwimona.edu.jm
Objectives:
To determine whether early psychosocial intervention with low birth weight term (LBW-T) infants improved cognition and behavior and to compare LBW-T with normal birth weight (NBW) infants.
Study Design:
A randomized controlled trial was carried out in Kingston, Jamaica, with 140 LBW-T infants (weight<2500 g). The intervention comprised weekly home visits by paraprofessionals for the first 8 weeks of life aimed at improving maternal-child interaction. LBW-T and 94 matched NBW (weight 2500 to 4000 g) infants were recruited from the main maternity hospital. Main outcome measures were problem solving (2 means-end tests: cover and support) and 4 behavior ratings at 7 months. Analyses used were the t test for intervention effects and multiple regression to compare LBW and NBW infants.
Results:
LBW-T intervened infants had higher scores than LBW-T control infants on the cover test (P<.05) and were more cooperative (P<.01) and happy (P<.05). LBW-T control infants had poorer scores on both the cover (P<.001) and support tests (P<.01), vocalized less (P<.02), and were less cooperative (P<.001), happy (P<.02), and active (P<.02) than NBW infants. LBW-T intervened infants had lower scores than NBW infants only on the support test (P<.05).
Conclusions:
Early low-cost intervention can improve cognition and behavior of LBW-T infants in developing countries.
