Intervention in the first weeks of life for infants born late preterm: a case series.

Unlabelled: Infants born late preterm (34-36 weeks of gestation) account for 350 000 US births per year, are at risk for developmental delays, and are rarely included in intervention studies.

Purpose: To describe a novel parent-delivered movement intervention program for very young infants and outcomes following intervention and to evaluate the feasibility of using a comprehensive set of outcome measures.

Summary Of Key Points: Two infants born late preterm received intervention from 0.5 to 2.0 months of adjusted age. Development, postural control, reaching, and object exploration assessments were completed at 3 time points. The intervention was well tolerated by the family. Improvements in developmental outcomes, postural control, and object exploration are presented.

Statement Of Conclusion: Very early movement experience provided daily by parents may improve development. In combination, norm-referenced and behavioral measures appear sensitive to changes in infant behaviors.