Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 28, 2025
Author Spotlight: Capturing Infant-Caregiver Interactions Through Synchronized Multimodal Data Collection
Published on: May 31, 2024
Family nurture intervention increases term age forebrain EEG activity: A multicenter replication trial
Martha G Welch1, Philip G Grieve2, Raymond I Stark2
1Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.
Family Nurture Intervention in the NICU (FNI-NICU) significantly increased frontal brain activity in preterm infants. This intervention promotes emotional connection and coregulation, positively impacting early brain development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Neonatal Care
Background:
- The Family Nurture Intervention in the NICU (FNI-NICU) aims to enhance maternal-infant bonding and infant neurodevelopment.
- Previous research (RCT-1) indicated positive effects of FNI-NICU on infant EEG power.
Purpose of the Study:
- To replicate the EEG findings of a previous randomized controlled trial (RCT-1) of FNI-NICU.
- To compare EEG power in preterm infants receiving standard care (SC) versus SC plus FNI-NICU.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial (RCT-2) involving 60 preterm infants (26-34 weeks gestational age) across two NICUs.
- Infants were assigned to SC or FNI-NICU, with FNI-NICU involving mother-infant calming sessions 4 times/week.
- Primary outcome: EEG power in the frontal polar region at 39-41 weeks gestational age, measured using 128-lead EEG and Fast Fourier Transforms.
Main Results:
- RCT-2 successfully replicated RCT-1 findings, showing significantly increased frontal polar EEG power (>12 Hz) in the FNI-NICU group.
- The positive effects of FNI-NICU were more widespread than in RCT-1, with substantial effect sizes in frontal and parietal regions.
- EEG data indicated enhanced term-age brain activity in infants receiving FNI-NICU.
Conclusions:
- FNI-NICU provides further evidence for its efficacy in increasing term-age brain activity in preterm infants.
- The intervention facilitates autonomic emotional connection and coregulation, leading to profound effects on early brain development.
