Episode 140 (Professor Alicia Spittle)

COCHRANE REVIEW: EARLY DEVELOPMENTAL INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES PROVIDED POST HOSPITAL DISCHARGE TO PREVENT MOTOR AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN PRETERM INFANTS.

Jane Orton, Lex W Doyle, Tanya Tripathi, Roslyn Boyd, Peter J Anderson, Alicia Spittle

Early developmental intervention programmes for preterm infants probably improve cognitive and motor outcomes during infancy (low‐certainty evidence) while, at preschool age, intervention is shown to improve cognitive outcomes (high‐certainty evidence). 

Considerable heterogeneity exists between studies due to variations in aspects of the intervention programmes, the population and outcome measures utilised. Further research is needed to determine which types of early developmental interventions are most effective in improving cognitive and motor outcomes, and in particular to discern whether there is a longer‐term benefit from these programmes.

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005495.pub5/full