Clinical Research Directory
Browse clinical research sites, groups, and studies.
Severe Intrauterine Growth Retardation: Developmental Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Care
Sponsor: Boston Children's Hospital
Summary
The purpose of the study is to learn more about the development of small for gestational age (SGA) preterm infants and whether focusing on the infant's behavior has a positive effect on outcome. The study hypotheses state: 1) High risk severely SGA preterm infants will profit from detailed neuropsychological assessment, psychoeducational recommendations and practical guidance for caregiving, as well as formal educational and emotional support for the family and the professional care team. 2) Neuropsychological education and guidance for community-based early intervention providers caring for SGA preterm infants after their discharge is effective in promoting improved outcome.
Official title: Family-Centered Neuropsychoeducational In-NICU Intervention for Preterm Infants With Severe Intrauterine Growth Retardation and for Their Families
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
Any - 36 Weeks
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
30
Start Date
1996-10
Completion Date
2002-07
Last Updated
2026-08-11
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Newborn Individualized Developmental Care
The developmental care model aims to create a relationship-based developmentally supportive care environment for the preterm infant and family. The theory proposes that care implementation that takes into account infants' thresholds of disorganization is most supportive of long term outcome. Specifically, the intervention consisted of weekly neurobehavioral observations and reports of the experimental group infants' behavior with suggestions for parents and staff in ways to support each infant's development. The developmental specialists observed each infant's behavior throughout hospitalization and to 2 weeks corrected age and formulated descriptive neurobehavioral reports with suggestions to structure caregiving procedures adapted to the infant's sleep/wake cycle and in support of the infant's well-regulated behavioral balance. Parents were supported to care for their infant, encouraged to nurse and hold their infant skin-to-skin, and to cradle them during stressful procedures.
Locations (2)
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Children's Hospital Boston
Boston, Massachusetts, United States