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Updated: Jul 2, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
No change in developmental outcome with incubator covers and nesting for very preterm infants in a randomised
C M Maguire1, F J Walther, P H T van Zwieten
1Department of Pediatrics, Subdivision of Neonatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Insights
Basic developmental care interventions like incubator covers and positioning aids did not improve growth or neurodevelopment in preterm infants born before 32 weeks. Any initial psychomotor gains at one year did not persist by two years.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Developmental pediatrics
- Clinical trial research
Background:
- Infants born before 32 weeks gestation are at high risk for developmental challenges.
- Developmental care aims to provide a supportive environment for preterm infants.
- The impact of basic developmental care elements on long-term outcomes requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of basic developmental care elements on growth and neurodevelopment in infants born before 32 weeks.
- To compare outcomes between infants receiving developmental care and standard care.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial was conducted with infants born < 32 weeks.
- Infants were randomized to developmental care (DC) or standard care (C) within 48 hours of birth.
- Growth, neurological examinations, and mental (MDI) and psychomotor (PDI) development were assessed at 1 and 2 years corrected age.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in growth, neurological outcomes, or mental development (MDI) between the DC and C groups at 1 or 2 years.
- A positive trend in psychomotor development (PDI) at 1 year in the DC group did not persist at 2 years.
- Combined neurological and developmental scores showed no difference between groups.
Conclusions:
- Basic developmental care, including incubator covers and positioning aids, does not positively impact growth or neurodevelopment in preterm infants at 1 and 2 years.
- The study found no sustained benefits of these basic developmental care interventions for this vulnerable population.
Objective:
To investigate in a randomised controlled trial the effect of basic elements of developmental care (incubator covers and positioning aids) on growth and neurodevelopment in infants born at < 32 weeks.
Method:
Infants were randomised within 48 h of birth to a developmental care (DC) or standard care (C) group. Outcome measures at 1 and 2 years corrected age were growth, standardised neurological examinations, and mental (MDI) and psychomotor (PDI) development (Dutch version of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II).
Results:
192 infants were recruited (DC = 98; C = 94). Thirteen infants (DC = 7, C = 6) were excluded because they were admitted for <5 days or died within the first 5 days. In total, 179 infants met the inclusion criteria. In-hospital mortality was 12/91 (13.2%) in the DC group and 8/88 (9.1%) in the C group. Assessments were carried out on 147 children (DC = 74, C = 73) at 1 year and 142 children (DC = 72, C = 70) at 2 years. No significant difference in growth, neurological outcomes or MDI was found. A positive trend in PDI at 1 year (p = 0.05) did not continue once the children reached 2 years. There was no difference found when neurological and developmental scores were combined.
Conclusions:
Basic developmental care has no positive effect on neurological and mental development or growth at 1 and 2 years of age in infants born at <32 weeks. A positive effect on psychomotor development at 1 year did not continue at 2 years of age.
