A three-center, randomized, controlled trial of individualized developmental care for very low birth weight preterm infants: medical, neurodevelopmental, parenting, and caregiving effects.

Contains fulltext : 57579.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)Medical, neurodevelopmental, and parenting effects of individualized developmental care were investigated in a three-center, randomized, controlled trial. A total of 92 preterm infants, weighing less than 1250 g and aged less than 28 weeks, participated. Outcome measures included medical, neurodevelopmental and family function. Quality of care was also assessed. Multivariate analysis of variance investigated group, site, and interaction effects; correlation analysis identified individual variable contributions to significant effects. The results consistently favored the experimental groups. The following contributed to the group effects: shorter duration of parenteral feeding, transition to full oral feeding, intensive care, and hospitalization; lower incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis; reduced discharge ages and hospital charges; improved weight, length, and head circumferences; enhanced autonomic, motor, state, attention, and self-regulatory functioning; reduced need for facilitation; and lowered family stress and enhanced appreciation of the infant. Quality of care was measurably improved. Very low birth weight infants and their parents, across diverse settings, may benefit from individualized developmental care

Supplementary Material for: Prospective Evaluation of a Prenatal Sonographic Clubfoot Classification System

<strong><em>Background:</em></strong> The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate our recently described fetal sonographic classification system for prenatal diagnosis of clubfoot. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Over 18 months, we prospectively enrolled consecutive pregnant patients evaluated for a prenatally diagnosed clubfoot. Prenatal sonographic scores assigned by a radiologist were compared to final clinical diagnosis and severity given by a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Pearson's χ² test and logistic regression were used in statistical analyses on the subject level. Generalized estimating equations were used in analyses on the foot level to account for intrasubject correlation. <b><i>Results:</i></b> There were 50 subjects, with 26 unilateral and 24 bilateral clubfeet, according to the prenatal ultrasound (US). A total of 51 (69%) of 74 feet and 36 (72%) of 50 subjects had a postnatal diagnosis of clubfoot. The accuracy of diagnosis in cases of a severe, moderate, and mild US score was 94, 70, and 25%, respectively (p = 0.003 comparing moderate-severe vs. mild). US severity correlated with the Dimeglio classification scoring system (Spearman's correlation 0.30). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The fetal sonographic scoring system is predictive of clinical severity after birth, and improves the ability to counsel families with a prenatal diagnosis of clubfoot