J Korean Phys Ther.  2017 Aug;29(4):211-217. 10.18857/jkpt.2017.29.4.211.

A Follow-Up Study on the Development of Premature Babies with Neurodevelopmental Treatment in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during the 6 Months of Corrected Age

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Kyungsung University, Busan, Korea. nkdreamju@ks.ac.kr

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to trace the development of premature babies who had undergone neurodevelopmental treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit and to identify the effects of early neurodevelopmental treatment on the development of premature babies.
METHODS
Fifty-one premature babies, who had been hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit and received an infant motor performance test and Bayley scales-III evaluation of their developments during the six months of corrected age were included. They were divided into three groups: the intervention group (n=16), control group (n=23), and comparison group (n=12), depending on the risk of developmental delays and the existence of an intervention. The results of this study were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 for windows. The statistical significance level was set at α=0.05.
RESULTS
Regarding the infant motor performance test scores for each group before the intervention, at two weeks after the start of intervention, and at post-conception of 40 weeks, the intervention group showed a significantly higher improvement than the control or comparison group (p<0.01). With respect to the Bayley scales-III at the corrected age of six months, the intervention group exhibited statistically significant differences from the control group in the domains of language and fine movements (p<0.01).
CONCLUSION
The findings of this study could confirm that the early neurodevelopmental treatment of premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit has continuous effects on the development of premature babies even after being discharged from the hospital.

Keyword

Premature; Developmental; Early intervention; NICU

MeSH Terms

Early Intervention (Education)
Follow-Up Studies*
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Intensive Care, Neonatal*
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