One in 10 children in the United States is born preterm and at risk for disabilities that can impair movement and cognition. Research suggests that targeted early intervention can effectively improve ability and function for these children. However, two key obstacles limit the provision of early intervention services in the first half-year of life. First, the existing diagnostic tools are limited in their ability to identify motor and cognitive delays at early ages. Second, in the medical model there is a lack of understanding of developmental science and how experiences in the first months of life can impact the development of future abilities. In effect, there has been lack of knowledge regarding who should receive early intervention services and what activities should be the focus of those services in infancy.

This project aims to address these challenges by testing the fidelity and short-term efficacy of a novel intervention providing education for parents of preterm infants. The intervention will educate parents on ways to handle, position, and play with their infants to provide infants safe opportunities to explore new ways of moving and controlling their bodies and interacting with objects. Intervention provision will be documented and outcomes will be compared for 40 infants randomized to receive one of two types of developmental education. Pre- and post-assessments will compare motor control in prone, reaching ability, daily positioning practices, and parent-child interactions with toys to determine if there are differences in the short-term effects of the intervention. Intervention will occur for two months with parents logging activity daily. Measures related to dosage and how parents perform the intervention activities will be gathered to assess fidelity of the intervention.

Aim 1: To measure aspects related to fidelity for families participating in the study.

Aim 2: To determine if there is a difference in developmental outcomes for children who receive the intervention.