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Early developmental support for preterm infants based on exploratory behaviors: A parallel randomized controlled
Turgay Altunalan1,2,3, Zübeyir Sarı2, Tuba Derya Doğan3,4
1Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Science, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
Brain and Behavior
|October 6, 2023
Summary
The Explorer Baby program shows promise for improving cognitive and language skills in preterm infants. While not statistically significant compared to neurodevelopmental therapy, it offers a safe and effective early intervention option.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal development
- Early intervention strategies
- Developmental pediatrics
Background:
- Preterm infants face high risks for developmental disabilities.
- Mothers of preterm infants experience elevated stress levels.
- Early intervention programs are crucial for mitigating adverse outcomes in preterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of the novel Explorer Baby early intervention program for preterm infant development.
- To assess the impact of the Explorer Baby program on maternal stress levels.
- To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of Explorer Baby versus neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT).
Main Methods:
- A randomized clinical trial involving preterm infants (38 weeks-6 months corrected age) at low risk for cerebral palsy.
- Infants were randomly assigned to either the Explorer Baby group or an active control neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT) group.
- Bayley Scales of Infant Development III (Bayley III) was used for primary outcome assessment pre-, during-, and post-intervention.
Main Results:
- No significant between-group differences were observed in primary or secondary outcomes.
- The Explorer Baby group showed significant within-group improvements in cognitive and language skills.
- The NDT group demonstrated significant within-group improvements in parent-child dysfunctional interaction.
Conclusions:
- The Explorer Baby program may be a preferred choice for supporting preterm infants without brain injury, demonstrating enhanced skill acquisition.
- Both Explorer Baby and NDT are safe early intervention methods for preterm infants.
- Neither intervention negatively impacted mothers' overall stress levels.
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