Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2025
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
The AIMS home-video method: parental experiences and appraisal for use in neonatal follow-up clinics
I Suir1,2, J Oosterhaven3, M Boonzaaijer3,4,5
1Research Group Lifestyle and Health, Research Centre Healthy and Sustainable Living, HU University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands. imke.suir@hu.nl.
Insights
Parents found the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) home-video method manageable and reassuring for monitoring infant development. This method can supplement hospital visits for premature infants, potentially reducing healthcare facility frequency.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric developmental assessment
- Telehealth in healthcare
Background:
- Premature infants in The Netherlands receive regular hospital-based developmental check-ups.
- Telehealth, utilizing parent-recorded videos for professional assessment, is a potential future practice.
- This study explored parental experiences with the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) home-video method for neonatal follow-up.
Purpose of the Study:
- To gain insight into parental experiences with the AIMS home-video method.
- To assess the applicability of the AIMS home-video method in outpatient neonatal follow-up.
- To understand parental appraisal of using home-video for infant motor development monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative descriptive study design.
- Involved parents of healthy extremely or very premature infants (GA 26.2-31.5 weeks).
- Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using inductive content analysis.
Main Results:
- Parents found the AIMS home-video method manageable and enjoyable, with clear instructions.
- Video transfer and uploading were sometimes time-consuming; however, parents gained awareness and reassurance.
- Parents viewed home-videos as a valuable addition to, but not a replacement for, hospital visits, potentially reducing frequency.
Conclusions:
- The AIMS home-video method was positively appraised by parents as a valuable tool for monitoring at-risk infants in neonatal follow-up.
- Development of a user-friendly, secure platform for video exchange between parents and professionals is recommended for future research.
- Exploring the implementation of this telehealth approach in neonatal care is warranted.
Background:
In The Netherlands, prematurely born infants and their parents are offered regular developmental check-ups in a hospital setting. In line with providing healthcare at distance, the use of video footage showing the infant's behavior and movements, taken by parents at home and assessed by professionals online, might be a fruitful future practice. The focus of this study was to gain insight into parental experiences with the Alberta Infant Motor Scale home-video method and their appraisal of its applicability for use in an outpatient neonatal follow-up clinic.
Method:
A qualitative descriptive study among parents of healthy extremely or very premature infants (GA 26.2-31.5 weeks) participating in a longitudinal study of motor development between 3-18 months corrected age. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed independently. Inductive content analysis was performed following the process of the AIMS home-video method.
Results:
Parents appraised the AIMS home-video method as manageable and fun to do. Instructions, instruction film, and checklists were clear. Transferring the video footage from their phone to their computer and uploading it to the web portal was sometimes time-consuming. Parents gained a better awareness of their infant's motor development and found the provided feedback a confirmation of what they already thought about their infant's development and was reassuring that their child was doing well. First-time parents seemed more uncertain and had a greater need for information about (motor) development, but on the other hand, also had confidence in their child. All parents thought that home-videos can be an addition to follow-up visits, but cannot replace (all) visits. It may be an opportunity to reduce the frequency of hospital visits, while still having their infant monitored.
Conclusion:
Parents appraised the AIMS home-video method positively and are of the opinion that home-videos can be of added value in monitoring infants at risk in neonatal follow-up additional to hospital visits. In future research a user-friendly application and/or platform to exchange video footage safely between parents and professionals should be developed with all possible stakeholders involved and implementation should be explored.
