Early developmental care for preterm neonates: a call for more research
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Published on: January 7, 2020
1Paediatric Department, University Hospital, 29609 Brest, France. jacques.sizun@chu-brest.fr
Insights
Developmental care interventions in neonatal intensive care units reduce stress for preterm infants. Further research is essential to fully understand and optimize these supportive care strategies.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal medicine
- Developmental psychology
- Neuroscience
- Nursing science
Background:
- Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) present significant stressors for preterm neonates.
- Developmental care encompasses interventions designed to mitigate these stressors.
- Evidence from multiple scientific disciplines supports the need for developmental care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the theoretical underpinnings of developmental care interventions.
- To synthesize research data from diverse scientific fields related to developmental care.
- To identify gaps in current knowledge and advocate for future research.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of theoretical frameworks.
- Synthesis of empirical data from neuroscience, psychology, medicine, and nursing.
- Critical analysis of existing research on developmental care.
Main Results:
- Developmental care strategies aim to create a less stressful NICU environment.
- Interventions are informed by principles from neuroscience and developmental psychology.
- Current research provides a foundation but highlights areas needing further investigation.
Conclusions:
- Developmental care is crucial for optimizing preterm infant outcomes.
- A multidisciplinary approach integrating various scientific findings is beneficial.
- Significant gaps remain, necessitating further rigorous research to advance the field.
Abstract:
Developmental care is the use of a range of medical and nursing interventions to decrease the stress of preterm neonates in neonatal intensive care units. This article reviews the theory underlying such interventions and research based data in different scientific fields, including neuroscience, developmental and family psychology, medicine, and nursing. The conclusion is that more research is needed.
