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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Controlled Cortical Impact Model for Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 5, 2014
Intervention for infants with brain injury: results of a randomized controlled study
Lina Kurdahi Badr1, Meena Garg, Meghna Kamath
1School of Nursing, 901 East Alosta Avenue, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA 90095, USA. linakbadr@hotmail.com
Insights
This study found that individualized cognitive/sensorimotor stimulation had minimal positive effects on infants with suspected brain injury. The intervention did not significantly improve developmental scores, parental stress, or mother-infant interaction long-term.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Public Health Nursing
Background:
- Infants with suspected brain injury require targeted interventions to optimize developmental outcomes.
- Early cognitive and sensorimotor stimulation programs are explored for their efficacy in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the 12-month efficacy of an individualized cognitive/sensorimotor stimulation program for infants with suspected brain injury.
- To assess the intervention's impact on infant development, mother-infant interaction, and parental stress.
Main Methods:
- A randomized clinical trial (RCT) involving 62 infants with suspected brain injury.
- Intervention group received intensive stimulation (Curriculum and Monitoring System - CAMS) by public health nurses (PHNs).
- Control group received standard state-funded follow-up. Assessments included Bayley Scales, mother-infant interaction scales, and parental stress measures at 6, 12, and 18 months corrected age.
Main Results:
- Minimal positive effects observed on Bayley mental and motor development scores in the intervention group.
- No significant long-term improvements in parental stress or mother-infant interaction at 12 or 18 months.
- A trend of decreasing Bayley mental scores over time was noted in the control group; significant differences favoring the intervention group were seen in the Nursing Child Assessment Feeding Scale (NCAFS) at 6 months.
Conclusions:
- The individualized stimulation program demonstrated minimal positive effects on developmental outcomes for infants with suspected brain injury.
- Further research is needed to identify factors contributing to developmental outcomes in this vulnerable population.
- Home-based interventions and stimulation may have limited impact when other significant factors influence development.
Abstract:
A randomized clinical trail (RCT) employed a 12-month individualized cognitive/sensorimotor stimulation program to look at the efficacy of the intervention on 62 infants with suspected brain injury. The control group infants received the State-funded follow-up program provided by the Los Angeles (LA) Regional Centers while the intervention group received intensive stimulation using the Curriculum and Monitoring System (CAMS) taught by public health nurses (PHNs). The developmental assessments and outcome measures were performed at 6, 12 and 18 months corrected age and included the Bayley motor and mental development, the Home, mother-infant interaction (Nursing Child Assessment Feeding Scale (NCAFS) and Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale (NCATS)), parental stress and social support. At 18 months, 43 infants remained in the study. The results indicate that the intervention had minimal positive effects on the Bayley mental and motor development scores of infants in the intervention group. Likewise, the intervention did not contribute to less stress or better mother-infant interaction at 12 or 18 months although there were significant differences in the NCAFS scores favoring the intervention group at 6 months. There was a significant trend, however, for the control group to have a significant decrease over time on the Bayley mental scores. Although the sample was not large and attrition was at 31%, this study provides further support to the minimal effects of stimulation and home intervention for infants with brain injury and who may have more significant factors contributing to their developmental outcome.
