Joint attention in term and preterm infants at 12 months corrected age: the significance of gender and intervention based on a randomized controlled trial.
This study tested the effects of optimized neonatal mother-infant transactions on joint attention performance at 12 months. Surviving infants <2000g from a geographically defined area were randomly assigned to a preterm intervention (n=71) or preterm control group (n=69). Comparisons were made between preterm groups, secondary with a term group (n=75). Joint attention was measured using the Early Social Communication Scales. Preterm intervention infants scored significantly higher than preterm control infants on elements Initiating Joint Attention (p<0.05), Initiating Object Requests (p<0.05), and Responding to Social Interaction (p<0.0005). Intervention was not associated with performance on elements Responding to Joint Attention, or on Responding to Requests. ELBW infants scored significantly lower than VLBW and LBW infants on imperative functions. Girls outperformed boys on all communication elements. An intervention implemented during the neonatal period can be of advantage for certain aspects of joint attention performance in preterm infants.
Olafsen
Kåre S
KS
Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway. Kare.Olafsen@fagmed.uit.no <Kare.Olafsen@fagmed.uit.no>
Rønning
John A
JA
Kaaresen
Per Ivar
PI
Ulvund
Stein Erik
SE
Handegård
Bjørn Helge
BH
Dahl
Lauritz Bredrup
LB
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics