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Early intervention for very-low-birth-weight infants
T Matsuishi1, S Ishibashi, Y Kamiya
1Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume City, Japan.
Insights
Early intervention (EI) for very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants showed marginal improvements in behavior and language development. No significant differences were found in developmental quotients (DQ) between the EI and control groups.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Developmental pediatrics
- Child psychology
Background:
- Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants face developmental challenges.
- Early intervention (EI) aims to mitigate these challenges.
- Assessing the long-term efficacy of EI for VLBW infants is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of early intervention (EI) for very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants.
- To compare developmental quotients (DQ) and parent-reported outcomes between EI and control groups.
- To identify specific areas of development impacted by EI.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 62 2-year-old VLBW infants in an EI program was compared to 48 control subjects.
- Developmental quotients (DQ) were assessed for all participants.
- Parental questionnaires evaluated behavioral problems, sleep cycles, and language development.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant difference in DQ was observed between the EI and control groups.
- The EI group showed marginally significant improvements in behavioral issues, including reduced hyperkinesia.
- Improvements were also noted in adjusting to circadian sleep cycles and language development for the EI group.
Conclusions:
- Early intervention (EI) for VLBW infants demonstrates potential benefits beyond standardized developmental assessments.
- EI may positively influence specific developmental domains such as behavior and language.
- Further research is warranted to fully understand the impact and optimize EI strategies for VLBW infants.
Abstract:
To assess the efficacy of early intervention (EI) for very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants, we evaluated 62 2 year old children who were enrolled in an EI program and 48 control subjects aged 2 years. We determined the subjects' developmental quotients (DQ) and obtained information about the parents' evaluation of the children from a questionnaire sent to the parents. There was no significant difference in the DQ between the EI group and the control group. However, based on the responses to the questionnaire, subjects in the EI group showed slight, but statistically marginally significant, improvements in behavioral problems, especially a decrease in hyperkinesia, in adjusting to a circadian sleep cycle, and an improvement in language development, as compared with the control group (P < 0.1). Thus, EI for VLBW infants is considered useful to enhance some areas of development.