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Effect of Neuro-Development Treatment on motor development in preterm infants
1Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Kyungsung University, Republic of Korea.
Insights
Neuro-Development Treatment significantly improved developmental outcomes in preterm infants. This intervention, administered in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, showed positive effects on infant movement performance.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Developmental pediatrics
- Rehabilitation medicine
Background:
- Preterm infants are at high risk for developmental delays.
- Early intervention is crucial for optimizing neurodevelopmental outcomes in this population.
- Standard Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) care may not fully address developmental needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a structured Neuro-Development Treatment (NDT) program.
- To assess the impact of NDT on the developmental progress of preterm infants.
- To compare developmental outcomes between infants receiving NDT and those receiving standard care.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 96 preterm infants was studied, categorized by birth weight and risk for developmental delay.
- High-risk infants were randomized into an NDT intervention group (32) or a control group (30).
- Low-risk infants (34) served as a comparative group. The intervention group received NDT for 15 minutes, 4 times weekly until 40 weeks postconceptional age.
- The Test of Infant Movement Performance (TIMP) was administered at baseline, 2 weeks, and 40 weeks postconceptional age.
Main Results:
- Infants in the NDT intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in TIMP scores compared to both the control and comparative groups.
- The positive effects of NDT on motor development were evident by 40 weeks postconceptional age.
- No adverse events were reported in the intervention group.
Conclusions:
- Neuro-Development Treatment is an effective intervention for enhancing developmental outcomes in preterm infants within the NICU setting.
- NDT offers a valuable addition to standard NICU care for high-risk preterm infants.
- Further research is warranted to explore long-term benefits and optimal NDT protocols.
Abstract:
[Purpose] To investigate the effects of Neuro-Development Treatment on development in the preterm infants. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 96 premature infants were recruited for this study; 62 low birth weight preterm infants (<2.5 kg, high risk infants for developmental delay) and 34 premature infants (>2.5 kg, low risk infants for developmental delay). High risk infants were divided into intervention group (32 infants) and control group (30 infants) at time of admission. Low risk infants were into comparative group (34 infants). All infants received general nursing care in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Additionally, Intervention group received Neuro-Development Treatment for 15 minutes 4 times per week up to 40 week postconceptional age. We evaluated Test of Infant Movement Performance at baseline, 2 weeks after and 40 week postconceptional age. [Results] In score on Test of Infant Movement Performance there was more increase in intervention group than in control group and comparative group. [Conclusion] According to findings in this study, we find that Neuro-Development Treatment in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has an effect on development in the preterm infants.
