Conclusion : Positive clinical ly meaningful effects ( > 5 points ) are seen to an age of 36 months , but are no longer present at 5 years
Objective : To determine in a systematic review , whether interventions for infant development that involve parents , improve neurodevelopment at 12 months corrected age or older .
Randomised trial of parental support for families with very preterm children. Avon Premature Infant Project.
AIM To test the effectiveness of a home based developmental education programme in very preterm children . METHODS A r and omised controlled trial was conducted of developmental or social support intervention , started at discharge for up to 2 years , in 309 consecutive survivors of 32 weeks gestation or less , born to mothers resident in greater Bristol between December 1990 and July 1993 . Home visits were made by research nurses trained in either Portage ( a developmental education programme ) or in nondirectional counselling ( parent adviser scheme ) . Interventions were also provided to appropriate primary care and community support for disability . Griffiths Mental Development Scales were used to assess outcome at 2 years . RESULTS Mean ( SEM ) Griffiths quotients ( GQ ) were : Portage 96.8 ( 1.6 ) ; parent adviser 95.9 ( 1.6 ) ; preterm control 92.9 ( 2.0 ) . Despite r and omisation , social variables significantly confounded these results . Using linear regression analysis , intervention was associated with improved scores : Portage : + 4.3 GQ points ( 95 % CI 1.6 to 7.0 ) ; parent adviser : + 3.4 GQ points ( 1.4 to 6.1 ) . The effect of Portage  was greatest in those children with birthweights < 1250 g ( + 5.3 GQ points ( 0.2 to 10.4 ) and in those with an abnormal neonatal cerebral ultrasound scan ( + 7.3 GQ points ( 1.6 to 13.0 ) . CONCLUSION Primary analysis showed no developmental benefit from long term family support after preterm birth . Secondary analysis controlling for the presence of adverse social markers showed similar small advantage for both intervention groups . In the smallest infants and those with brain injuries , a structured developmental programme may offer advantage over social support intervention
Conclusion : Positive clinical ly meaningful effects ( > 5 points ) are seen to an age of 36 months , but are no longer present at 5 years
Objective : To determine in a systematic review , whether interventions for infant development that involve parents , improve neurodevelopment at 12 months corrected age or older .