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Home-based early stimulation program targeting visual and motor functions for preterm infants with delayed tracking:
Giovana Pascoali Rodovanski1, Bruna Aparecida Bêz Reus1, Angela Vitória Cechinel Damiani1
1Department of Health Science, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Araranguá, SC, Brazil.
Insights
A home-based early stimulation program for preterm infants improved visual tracking and sensory processing. This feasible program, targeting visual and motor functions, showed promising results for further research.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Preterm infants often experience developmental delays, particularly in visual and motor functions.
- Delayed visual tracking is a concern in preterm infants, necessitating early intervention.
- Home-based programs offer a scalable approach to support infant development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of a home-based early stimulation program (ESPVM) for preterm infants.
- To target visual and motor functions in preterm infants with delayed visual tracking.
- To evaluate the program's impact on visual tracking, motor development, and sensory behavior.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 30 preterm infants (28-37 weeks gestation) with delayed visual tracking.
- Intervention group received a 4-week home-based early stimulation program (ESPVM); control group received standard care.
- Feasibility assessed via retention, adherence, adverse events, and stress signals; preliminary efficacy via visual tracking and sensory/motor assessments.
Main Results:
- High retention rates (90% for ESPVM, 70% for SC) and no adverse events reported, indicating feasibility.
- ESPVM group showed significantly higher complete visual tracking frequencies for cards 7 and 8.
- ESPVM group exhibited lower total sensory profile scores, suggesting improved sensory processing; motor development was similar between groups.
Conclusions:
- The home-based early stimulation program (ESPVM) is feasible for preterm infants with delayed visual tracking.
- The program demonstrates potential benefits for visual tracking and sensory processing.
- Results support conducting a larger randomized controlled trial to confirm efficacy.
Aims:
To verify the feasibility of a home-based early stimulation program targeting visual and motor functions in preterm infants with delayed visual tracking.
Method:
We applied a randomized controlled trial. We included thirty low-risk preterm infants, from both genders, with delayed visual tracking, gestational between 28-37 weeks, and age at entrance between 1-2 months of corrected age, and absence of visual impairments. Infants were divided into two groups as follows: a) standard care group (SC) that received general orientation about sensory and motor development (16 infants); b) experimental group, that received a four-week home-based early stimulation program targeting visual and motor functions (ESPVM) applied by the caregivers (14 infants). The feasibility outcomes were retention and loss rates, adherence, adverse events, and stress signals. We obtained preliminary data by comparing visual tracking, motor development, and sensory behavior between groups at the end of the intervention.
Results:
Retention rate was high, 90 % of the caregivers provided ESPVM at least 22 days, and 70 % provided SC at least 17 days. No adverse events were reported. At the end of intervention, the ESPVM group presented higher frequencies of complete visual tracking for cards 7 (ESPVM = 57.3 %, SC = 6.3 %, p = 0.006) and 8 (ESPVM = 64.3 %, SC = 12.2 %, p = 0.013), and lower scores for total sensory profile (ESPVM: median = 58, range = 46-69; SC: median = 71, range = 54-90; p = 0.016). The groups were similar for motor development.
Conclusions:
The protocol was feasible, and the results encourage a larger randomized controlled trial.
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