Grant: Operating Grant: ECI grants in Maternal, Reproductive, Child & Youth Health

Background: Children who are born prematurely are at a higher risk of developing developmental delays than children born at term. Early experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can influence developmental outcomes. Sensorimotor interventions as well as parental engagement have been designed with the aim of improving the development of children born preterm. Substantial evidence supports the benefits of each intervention on improving developmental outcomes. However, there remains a significant gap in the literature on the efficacy of a parent administered sensorimotor intervention (PASI) program in the NICU on infant's development. The proposed study is designed to evaluate the potential benefits of such a program on infant's development. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a PASI program on preterm infant's neonatal and motor developmental outcomes. Study Design: A multi-center randomized block clinical trial will be performed. Method: A total of 84 preterm infants (< 33 weeks gestation) will be recruited and randomized. Infants in the experimental group will receive the sensorimotor program, consisting of tactile (whole body) and oral input for 15 minutes, one time per day, for 10 days. Infants in the control group will receive standard care. The following outcomes will be monitored time to attainment of complete oral feeds (primary outcome), rate of weight gain, length of hospitalization, and motor outcomes at hospital discharge and at 4 months corrected age. Significance: Results from this study will provide us with further knowledge on the impact of sensorimotor intervention on infants' developmental outcome as well as the effect of active parental involvement on infants' development. Provision of a PASI program is a safe and low cost effective intervention that may increase the development and quality of life of preterm born children and their family.