EFFECTIVENESS OF INDIVIDUALIZED DEVELOPMENTAL CARE FOR LOW-RISK PRETERM INFANTS - BEHAVIORAL AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIC EVIDENCE

Objective. We assessed the effectiveness of individualized development al support in the special care nursery for low-risk preterm infants. S etting. A university-affiliated teaching hospital. Participants. Twelv e healthy full-term infants, and 24 low-risk preterm infants randomly assigned to a control or an experimental group. Design. The preterm co ntrol group received standard care and the preterm experimental group received individualized developmental care at the same special care nu rsery. Outcome Measures. Medical, behavioral (Assessment of Preterm In fants' Behavior and Prechtl's Neurological Examination of the Full-Ter m Newborn Infant), and electrophysiologic outcome (using quantitative electroencephalography with topographic mapping) of all three groups w as assessed 2 weeks after the expected due date. Results. No between- or among-group medical differences were seen for this low-risk, health y sample. The preterm experimental group showed behavioral and electro physiologic performances comparable to those of the full-term group, w hereas the preterm control group performed significantly less well. Be havioral measures suggested significantly poorer attentional functioni ng for the preterm control group. Electrophysiologic results implicate d the frontal lobe. Conclusions. Individualized developmental interven tion supports neurobehavioral functioning as measured at 2 weeks post- term. It appears to prevent frontal lobe and attentional difficulties in the newborn period, the possible causes of behavioral and scholasti c disabilities often seen in low-risk preterm infants at later ages.