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Infant behavioral assessment and intervention program in very low birth weight infants improves independency in
Gijs Verkerk1, Martine Jeukens-Visser, Karen Koldewijn
1Department of Rehabilitation, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. g.j.verkerk@amc.uva.nl
Insights
The Infant Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Program (IBAIP) improved sensory processing and mobility in very low birth weight infants by preschool age. This intervention supports better daily activity independence for these children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Occupational Therapy
Background:
- Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants face challenges in sensory processing and daily activities.
- Early intervention programs aim to mitigate developmental deficits in VLBW populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the long-term effects of the Infant Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Program (IBAIP) on VLBW infants.
- To evaluate the impact of IBAIP on sensory processing and daily functional mobility at preschool age.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial followed VLBW infants receiving IBAIP (n=86) versus standard care (n=90).
- Sensory processing (SP-NL) and functional abilities (PEDI-NL) were assessed at 3.5 years corrected age.
- A term-born control group (n=41) provided normative comparison for sensory processing.
Main Results:
- The IBAIP group showed significantly better oral sensory processing, endurance/tone, and mobility compared to the control group.
- VLBW infants, regardless of intervention, performed below normative standards in some functional areas.
- The control group exhibited lower scores in endurance/tone compared to term-born infants.
Conclusions:
- The IBAIP intervention demonstrated sustained positive effects on developmental outcomes.
- Improved independency in mobility was observed at 3.5 years corrected age for VLBW infants who received IBAIP.
- Early intervention is crucial for enhancing functional abilities in VLBW children.
Objective:
To evaluate the effects of the Infant Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Program(©) (IBAIP) in very low birth weight infants on sensory processing and daily activities at preschool age.
Study Design:
Follow-up of children included in a randomized controlled trial. Eighty-six infants were enrolled in post-discharge IBAIP until 6 months corrected age, and 90 infants received standard care. At 3.5 years of age, the Sensory Profile-Dutch version (SP-NL) and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Dutch version (PEDI-NL) were administered. For comparison, parents of 41 term-born children also completed the SP-NL.
Results:
Seventy-six children (88%) in the IBAIP group and 75 children (83%) children in the control group were examined at 44 months corrected age. After adjustment for pre-randomization differences in perinatal characteristics, the IBAIP group outperformed the control group significantly on SP-NL domains of oral sensory processing and sensory processing related to endurance/tone and PEDI-NL domains of mobility. The control group only scored significantly lower than the term group on the SP-NL domain endurance/tone. The very low birth weight groups performed significantly below the PEDI-NL's norm.
Conclusion:
In line with the positive developmental effects of the IBAIP until 24 months corrected age, independency in mobility in daily activities was improved at 3.5 years.
