Early interventions involving parents to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes of premature infants: a meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine in a systematic review, whether interventions for infant development that involve parents, improve neurodevelopment at 12 months corrected age or older.


METHODS
Randomized trials were identified where an infant intervention was aimed to improve development and involved parents of preterms; and long-term neurodevelopment using standardized tests at 12 months (or longer) was reported.


RESULTS
Identified studies (n=25) used a variety of interventions including parent education, infant stimulation, home visits or individualized developmental care. Meta-analysis at 12 months (N=2198 infants) found significantly higher mental (N=2198) and physical (N=1319) performance scores favoring the intervention group. At 24 months, the mental (N=1490) performance scores were improved, but physical (N=1025) performance scores were not statistically significant. The improvement in neurodevelopmental outcome was not sustained at 36 months (N=961) and 5 years (N=1017).


CONCLUSIONS
Positive clinically meaningful effects (>5 points) are seen to an age of 36 months, but are no longer present at 5 years.
Vanderveen
J A
JA
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Bassler
D
D
Robertson
C M T
CM
Kirpalani
H
H
D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009462:Neurology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D011247:Pregnancy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome