title: The effect of in-hospital developmental care on neonatal morbidity, growth and development of preterm Taiwanese infants: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intervention studies of developmental care for preterm infants in Western societies have shown early but unsustainable effects on child outcomes, however only a limited of studies have examined if developmental care interventions produce similar effects in Eastern cultural contexts.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effectiveness of in-hospital developmental care on neonatal morbidity, growth and development of preterm infants with very low birth weight (VLBW; birth weight<1500 g) in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and seventy-eight VLBW preterm infants were randomly assigned to the clinical trial during hospitalization at three hospitals in Taiwan; the control group received five sessions of standard child-focused developmental care and the intervention group received five sessions of child- and parent-focused developmental care. Sixty-two normal term infants were also included as a comparison group. Infants were examined for morbidity, growth and developmental outcomes at term age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At study entry, more infants in the intervention group were twins or multiples than those in the control group (29% vs. 16%, p=0.05). After adjusting for birth set, the intervention group had lower incidences of stage II-III retinopathy (odds ratio [OR]=0.34 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15-0.79]; p=0.01) and feeding desaturation (OR=0.32 [95% CI: 0.10-1.00]; p=0.05) and had greater daily weight gains (difference=2.0 g/day [95% CI: 0-4.0 g/day]; p=0.05) as compared with the control group. However, the intervention and control groups did not differ in any of the neurodevelopmental measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In-hospital developmental care has short-term benefits for Taiwanese VLBW preterm infants in reducing the risk of retinopathy and feeding desaturation as well as in enhancing weight gains at term age.
authors.affiliation: School and Graduate Institute of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Chiou
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ying-Chin
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wu-Shiun
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Chyong-Hsin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Chi-Hon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: Wei J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nan-Chang
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Wang-Tso
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ming Chin
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Li-Jung
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Hui-Chin
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Suh-Fang
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Jeng
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000379:methods*; D009017:Morbidity; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013624:Taiwan; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology