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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
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The relationship between home environment and infant neuropsychological outcomes: Comparison between preterm and

Jing Han1, Aihong Liu2, Shuang Liang2

  • 1School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, No. 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China; School of Nursing, Yale University, 400 West Campus Drive, Orange, CT, 06477, USA.

Early Human Development
|June 15, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Preterm infants show greater vulnerability to a poor home environment, especially in social behavior development. Enhancing the home environment is crucial for improving neuropsychological outcomes in these infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neuropsychology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Environmental Psychology

Background:

  • Preterm infants face unique developmental challenges compared to full-term peers.
  • The influence of the home environment on infant development is well-established.
  • Understanding differential susceptibility to environmental factors is critical for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of the home environment on neuropsychological development in preterm versus full-term infants.
  • To determine if preterm infants are similarly affected, more vulnerable, or more susceptible to home environment influences.
  • To compare additive main effect, diathesis-stress, and differential susceptibility models.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study with 434 infants (68 preterm, 344 full-term).
  • Infant Home Nurture Environment Questionnaire and standardized neuropsychological assessments.
  • Multiple regression and Region of Significance Analysis to examine interactions between home environment and prematurity status.

Main Results:

  • A significant diathesis-stress interaction was found for social behavior, indicating preterm infants' heightened vulnerability to low-quality home environments.
  • No significant interactions were observed for gross motor, fine motor, or language development.
  • Results suggest additive effects for motor and language development, but a diathesis-stress model for social behavior.

Conclusions:

  • High-quality home environments benefit all infants, but preterm infants are disproportionately affected by poor environments, particularly in social development.
  • Interventions aimed at improving the home environment are essential for preterm infants' neuropsychological outcomes.
  • Prioritizing home environment enhancement for preterm infants can mitigate social behavior deficits.
Abstract

Keywords:
Diathesis-stress modelFull-termHome environmentNeuropsychological outcomesPreterm

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