Early intervention programmes for preterm infants have a positive influence on cognitive and motor outcomes during infancy, with the cognitive benefits persisting into pre-school age. There is a great deal of heterogeneity between studies due to the variety of early developmental intervention programmes trialled and gestational ages of the preterm infants included, which limits the comparisons of intervention programmes. Further research is needed to determine which early developmental interventions are the most effective at improving cognitive and motor outcomes, and on the longer-term effects of these programmes.
The Infant Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Program for very low birth weight infants at 6 months corrected age.
To determine whether the Infant Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Program (IBAIP), designed to support and enhance infants' self-regulatory competence, improved developmental and neurobehavioral outcomes in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
                We randomized 86 infants to 1 intervention before discharge and to 6 to 8 home interventions until 6 months corrected age, and 90 control infants received standard care. Developmental and behavioral outcomes were evaluated at 6 months corrected age with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II (BSID-II). Neurobehavioral functioning was evaluated with the Infant Behavioral Assessment (IBA) at baseline and at 6 months corrected age.
                Despite randomization, some differences in neonatal characteristics were found between the intervention and control infants. After adjustment, intervention effects of 7.2 points (+/- standard error 3.1) on the Mental Developmental Index and 6.4 +/- 2.4 points on the Psychomotor Developmental Index favored the intervention infants. The Behavioral Rating Scale of the BSID-II (P = .000) and the IBA (more approach [P = .003] and less stress [P = .001] over time) also favored the intervention infants.
                The IBAIP improved the mental, motor, and behavioral outcomes of VLBW infants at 6 months corrected age.