Does Early Intervention Programs Help Prevent Motor and Cognitive Impairment In Preterm Infants Post-Discharge From NICU?

Does Early Intervention Programs Help Prevent Motor and Cognitive Impairment In Preterm Infants Post-Discharge From NICU?

It is clear that preterm infants are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental delays compared to infants born at term1. Therefore, a number of developmental intervention programs have been introduced in the neonatal intensive care unit setting to help the extremely low birth weight (<1000 grams birth weight) to improve the functional outcomes. Many studies are since then conducted to evaluate the long-term benefits from these intervention programs.
Cochrane neonatal group (a premier evidence-based research organization of the country) recently evaluated the utility of these programs in a meta-analysis. The group appraised 25 studies published until 2015 on this topic and selected 12 studies after applying stringent criteria for bias, randomization, and appropriate allocation. The team published their results in November 2015.
Authors’ conclusions are as follows: “Early intervention programs for preterm infants have a positive influence on cognitive and motor outcomes during infancy, with cognitive benefits persisting into preschool age. With regards to motor outcomes, a meta-analysis of 12 studies showed a significant effect in favor of early developmental interventions at infancy only. The early developmental intervention programs described in this review had to begin within the first 12 months of life, had to focus on the parent-infant relationship and/or infant development and although they could begin while the baby was still in the hospital, had to include a component that was delivered post-discharge from the hospital." Though no effect was shown on cerebral palsy, the motor improvement was, however, noted.
They concluded that further research is needed to determine which early developmental interventions are most effective in improving cognitive and motor outcomes, and to discern the longer-term effects of these programs.
It is quite encouraging that these programs do have a positive impact on the outcomes in preterm infants. We hope more and more parents of high-risk preterm infants take advantage of these early developmental intervention programs provided.

1) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005495.pub4/abstract;jsessionid=0F403A87FD4F8ADAF80D0C3A06B49678.f02t02.