title: The Infant Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Program to support preterm infants after hospital discharge: a pilot study.
abstract: In this pilot study we investigated the feasibility of The Infant Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Program (IBAIP) in a group of preterm infants. At the age of 6 months, the neurobehavioural organization and self-regulatory competence of an intervention group was compared with a control group who had received the standard follow-up care. The intervention group consisted of 13 males and seven females (mean gestational age [GA] 29.2 weeks, SD 1.3wks; mean birthweight 1232g, SD 320g). The control group consisted of 11 males and nine females (mean GA 29wks, SD 1.6wks; mean birthweight 1198g, SD 397g). Inclusion criteria were: a GA of 32 weeks and family residence in the district of Amsterdam. Exclusion criteria were: severe congenital abnormalities, intraventricular haemorrhage grade III or IV, periventricular leukomalacia grade III or IV, and infants whose mothers had a history of illicit drug use. The intervention infants received 6 to 8 IBAIP interventions at home, from discharge until 6 months of age. The Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale was administered at term; the Infant Behavioral Assessment (IBA) at term, 3, and 6 months of age; and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II at 3 and 6 months (corrected age). At 6 months, intervention infants showed less stress and more approach behaviours on the IBA compared with control infants. These promising results warrant further evaluation in a randomized controlled trial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. k.koldewijn@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koldewijn
authors.forename: Marie-Jeanne
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Aleid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Wassenaer
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beelen
authors.forename: Imelda J M
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.forename: Rodd
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hedlund
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D003710:Demography; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006296:Health Services; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development / Q000523:psychology*; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric