Evidence for your Practice: Motor Development Interventions for Preterm Infants

Article for Review:

Hughes, A. J., Redsell, S. A., & Glazebrook, C. (2016). Motor development interventions for preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pediatrics, e20160147.

This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to identify interventions that improved the motor development of preterm infants.  Forty-two publications, which reported results from 36 trials (25 randomized controlled trials and 11 nonrandomized studies) with a total of 3484 infants, met the inclusion criteria. The type of intervention varied because the focus for some of the studies was to enhance the parent-infant relationship as a means to improving infant development, whereas others provided additional support or sessions with either a physiotherapist or occupational therapist.

Conclusions:

A positive intervention effect on motor skills appears to be present up to 24 months' corrected age. There is some evidence at 3 months that interventions with specific motor components are most effective.

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