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Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the bladder stimulation technique (BST) to collect urine samples from newborns and its effects on physiological parameters and comfort of the newborn. Design: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted in a NICU. A total of 64 newborns were divided into 2 groups: 32 newborns in the experimental group and 32 newborns in the control group. Methods: Newborns in the experimental group (EG) were subjected to the BST, and in the control group (CG), urine collection was via sterile urine bags, which is routine practice. Procedural success was defined as the collection of urine samples within 3 min of beginning the stimulation technique in the experimental group and of placing the sterile urine bag in the control group. Results: The success rate of the procedure in 3 min was 62.5% in the EG and 28% in the CG (P = 0.006, absolute difference: 35%, 95% confidence interval 27% to 42%, NNT: 3). According to the comparison of the overall mean COMFORTneo scale and pain and distress subscale scores at the 1‐ and 3‐min marks, there was a significant difference between the EG and CG (p < 0.05). The mean scores in the EG were higher than those in the CG. The mean oxygen‐saturation was significantly lower in the EG than in the CG (p < 0.05), and the increase in heart rate was significantly higher in the EG (p = 0.018). Conclusions: BST is a more successful method within 3 min for collecting urine samples from newborns compared to sterile urine bags. However, the newborns' comfort levels minimally decreased at 3 min, and they had moderate pain and distress, while the BST was being implemented. This increase in physiologic parameters was statistically significant but not clinically significant. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Urinary tract infection is a commonly diagnosed bacterial infection in young infants with fever. However, the symptoms of this infection are non‐specific, so urine samples are needed to accurately diagnose and exclude it.There are multiple methods available for collecting urine samples, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.The bladder stimulation technique is a noninvasive and efficient method for collecting urine samples. However, few studies have examined the pain and distress effects of this technique, and these studies have reported varying results. What this paper adds? This study found that bladder stimulation techniques were more effective than sterile urine bags in collecting urine samples within 3 min from newborns.The bladder stimulation technique led to decreased saturation and comfort levels, increased heart rate, and increased pain and distress in the newborns during urine sampling; these increases in physiologic parameters were statistically significant but not clinically significant. The implications of this paper: The bladder stimulation technique is an effective noninvasive method for quickly collecting urine samples.Considering the pain and distress‐increasing properties of the technique, it may be recommended before invasive interventions (bladder catheterization and suprapubic aspiration) when urine sample collection with urine bags is not possible; it can be used in cases where urgent urine collection is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult studies have shown that observed interpersonal touch provides crucial information about others' emotional states. Yet, despite the unique communicative function of touch during development, very little is known about infants' sensitivity to the emotional valence of observed touches. To investigate this issue, we measured facial electromyographic (EMG) activity in response to positive (caress) and negative (scratches) observed touches in a sample of 11‐month‐old infants. Facial EMG activity was measured over the zygomaticus major (ZM) and corrugator supercilii muscles, respectively involved in positive (i.e., smiling) and negative (i.e., frowning) facial expressions. Results have shown distinct activations of the ZM during the observation of scratches and caresses. In particular, significantly greater activation of the ZM (smiling muscle) emerged specifically in response to the observation of caresses compared to scratches. Our finding suggests that, in infancy, observed affective touches can evoke emotional facial reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological, neurocognitive, and psychological changes facilitates adaptation to motherhood. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine differences between pregnant and non-pregnant women in affective cognitive and psychophysiological responses to infant stimuli. We hypothesized that pregnant women would display (I) reduced negative emotional reactivity and perception of distressed infant stimuli, (II) increased attention toward infants compared to adults, and (III) greater psychophysiological response to infant distress. The sample comprised 22 pregnant women (22–38 weeks gestation) and 18 non-pregnant nulliparous women. Four computerized tasks were administered to measure affective cognitive processing of infant stimuli, while recording facial expressions, electrodermal activity, and eye gazes. Results indicated that pregnant women exhibited fewer negative facial expressions, reported less frustration when exposed to distressed infant cries, and showed greater attention to emotional infant faces compared to non-pregnant women, but the differences did not remain statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons. No differences were observed in psychophysiological responses. The findings indicate a possible pregnancy-mediated effect regarding the cognitive processing of infant stimuli, potentially as preparation for motherhood. Future research with larger samples and longitudinal design is needed to understand the predictors, timing, and plasticity of cognitive changes during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infants and families requiring neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care often experience significant stress and trauma during the earliest period of the infant's life, leading to increased risks for poorer infant and family outcomes. There is a need for frameworks to guide clinical care and research that account for the complex interactions of generational stress, pain, toxic stress, parental separation, and lifelong health and developmental outcomes for infants and families. Purpose: Apply the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) framework in the context of the NICU as a usable structure to guide clinical practice and research focused on infant neurodevelopment outcomes and parental attachment. Methods: An overview of ACEs is provided along with a detailed discussion of risk at each level of the ACEs pyramid in the context of the NICU. Supportive and protective factors to help mitigate the risk of the ACEs in the NICU are detailed. Results: NICU hospitalization may be considered the first ACE, or potentially an additional ACE, resulting in an increased risk for poorer health outcomes. The promotion of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and implementation of traumainformed care and individualized developmental care potentially counter the negative impacts of stress in the NICU. Implications for Practice and Research: Nurses can help balance the negative and positive stimulation of the NICU through activities such as facilitated tucking, skin-to-skin care, mother's milk, and active participation of parents in infant care. Future research can consider using the ACEs framework to explain cumulative risk for adverse health and well-being in the context of NICU care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Premature neonates have feeding problems due to immaturity; As a result, until they acquire sufficient oral eating abilities, they require continuous enteral feeding. Interventions to enhance feeding outcomes of premature neonates and feeding outcomes is olfactory and gustatory stimulation. The study was aimed to determine the effect of olfactory and gustatory stimulations on premature neonates' feeding progression and sniffing away feeding tube. Subjects and method: A quasiexperimental research design was used in the present study. Convenience sampling of fifty premature neonates. The study was conducted at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Tanta Main University Hospital which affiliated to Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Three Tools include: Characteristics of premature neonates, Feeding pattern and intolerance of premature neonates' assessment tool 2018, Growth monitoring and physiological measurement of premature neonates. The result indicated that majority of studied neonates in the study group sniffed away the feeding tube to achieve full sucking in a shorter duration than neonates within the group under control. The study concluded that premature neonates who received olfactory and gustatory stimulation had improved feeding abilities and had faster sniffing away feeding tube to reach full feeding. The study recommended that written guidelines and procedures of the NICU should adopt the olfactory and gustatory stimulations in their care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To review the literature on the effects of unimodal sensorimotor stimulation protocols on feeding outcomes in very preterm and moderate to late preterm infants (PIs). Five databases were searched up to April 2022. Studies comparing unimodal sensorimotor stimulation protocols based on the combination of manual oral stimulation with NNS against usual care in PIs, on-time transition to full oral feeding (FOF), feeding efficacy, length of hospital stay, and/or body weight gain. Eleven studies were included. Compared to usual care, unimodal sensorimotor stimulation protocols based on manual oral stimulation combined with NNS demonstrated to be more effective in decreasing time transition to FOF (standardized mean difference [95%CI] − 1.08 [−1.74, −0.41]), improving feeding efficacy (2.15 [1.18, 3.13]) and shortening length of hospital stay (−0.35 [−0.68, −0.03]). However, the proposed intervention was not effective in improving weight gain (0.27 [−0.40, 0.95]). There were no significant differences according to gestational age (p >.05). Based on fair-to-high quality evidence, unimodal sensorimotor stimulation protocols combined with NNS reduce time transition to FOF, improve feeding efficacy, and shorten the length of hospital stay; yet the proposed intervention yielded no significant effects on body weight gain when compared to usual care in PIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dysphagia is a frequent complication defined as difficulty in any stage of swallowing. Infants with a history of mechanical ventilation might show difficulty in coordinating pharyngeal muscles resulting in dysphagia. Objectives: The present study aimed to show the prevalence of swallowing disorders and associated symptoms among high-risk infants with a history of prolonged mechanical ventilation. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted at the Breastfeeding Research Center, Tehran, Iran. All the neonates with a history of prolonged mechanical ventilation entered the study. Parents were asked to respond to a provided questionnaire regarding their infants' swallowing disorders. Accordingly, the infants with any symptoms were considered candidates for intervention. The parents also received simple training to perform oral sensorimotor stimulation protocol for their children. Through a follow-up visit, the questionnaire was filled up for every infant. Finally, all the data related to the responses before and after interventions were compared to show the possible effects of the interventions. Results: A total of 25 infants entered the study. The mean mechanical ventilation period was 15.95 ± 6.644 days. Concerning the frequency of swallowing complications, 24 infants (96%) had different degrees of dysphagia. After 3 - 6 months of interventions, the number of cases with symptoms of coughing (P = 0.016), spitting food out by mouth (P = 0.0001), choking (P = 0.016), humid breath (P= 0.031), poor weight gain (P= 0.002), and the need to cut food into small pieces (P = 0.004) was significantly lower than the number of cases suffering from such complications before the intervention. The results also showed that after 3 - 6 months of interventions, dysphagia symptoms in 10 out of 24 infants (41.66%) entirely and in others (38.44%) partially improved. Conclusions: The results of the present study delineated that infants with a history of prolonged mechanical ventilation were at greater risk of swallowing complications. The early diagnosis and implementation of oral sensorimotor interventions could improve different symptoms of dysphagia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are associated with a range of negative physical and mental health outcomes, yet there is limited research focused on the effect of ACEs on stress responses during pregnancy. Expectant mothers experience an increase in cortisol levels as pregnancy progresses, with this increase having important implications for fetal and early infant development. Little is known about the impact of ACEs on maternal cortisol levels. This study explored the relationship between maternal ACEs and cortisol response among expectant mothers nearing or in the third trimester of pregnancy. Methods: 39 expectant mothers were exposed to a Baby Cry Protocol via an infant simulator, with salivary cortisol collected at five points in time (N = 181). Stepwise, multilevel model creation resulted in a random intercept and random slope model with an interaction term for total number of ACEs and week of pregnancy. Results: The repeated measures data showed that cortisol levels decreased across collection times, from arrival at the lab, through the Baby Cry Protocol, to recovery. Predictive margins for the interaction term showed that while exposure to a greater number of ACEs was associated with higher cortisol levels early in the third trimester, the expected increase in cortisol late in pregnancy was blunted for expectant mothers who were exposed to a greater number of ACEs. Discussion: These findings findings suggest the importance of ACEs screening and intervention efforts as part of prenatal care. Significance: What is already known on this subject? Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have long-term, negative impacts on an individual's biological response to stress and are associated with negative health outcomes later in life. In addition, maternal cortisol plays an important role in child developmental outcomes. What this study adds? This study links the research on ACEs and maternal cortisol levels. It demonstrates the association between maternal ACEs and blunted cortisol levels in later pregnancy (near or during the third trimester). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Several methods have been proposed to improve growth in neonates, including touch and massage therapy. However, there are conflicting results about the effect of massage. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of massage therapy on body mass and head circumference indices of healthy infants and by gender. Materials & Methods In this randomized clinical trial study, 60 healthy infants were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly stratified with blocks of 4 in two groups of 30, including experimental and control groups (17 boys and 13 girls in each group). Experimental group neonates were given tactile-motor stimulation by their mothers at home for 15 minutes and twice a day, before feeding, for 4 consecutive weeks. Infants' growth indices were recorded at birth, at the end of the 14th and 28th day. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software using independent t-test, repeated measures ANOVA, and chi-square. Findings In all the neonates, the body mass index increased from 12.37±0.81kg/m2 to 14.61±0.98kg/m2 in the intervention group and from 13.19±1.16kg/m2 to 15.22±1.03kg/m2 in the control group. The head circumference in the intervention group improved from 34.66±1.19cm at birth to 37.30±970cm at 28 day, and in the control group it increased from 34.50±1.57cm at birth to 36.81±1.41cm at 28 days. However, the differences in none of these indicators were significant (p>0.05). Conclusion Massage with the method of tactile movements in general and based on gender did not improve the body mass index and head circumference of healthy babies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first two years of life, including the period from conception to 2 years of age, are very important for a child's growth and development. This study sought to describe the developmental status and the environmental factors that influence it in children aged 6 months to 2 years in urban and rural areas. The research sites were purposively selected: specific health centres in the city of Bandung and West Bandung district were chosen and the study was conducted from November to December 2022. A cross-sectional study was conducted with healthy children aged 6 months to 2 years and their parents, who agreed to participate in the study. Researchers performed developmental tests using the Developmental Pre-screening Questionnaire with classifications for normal developmental test results and developmental delays. During the study, 346 children met the inclusion criteria, resulting in a sample of 164 (47.4%) boys and 182 (52.6%) girls. There were no significant differences among children with developmental delays in urban and rural areas. The factors that influence the possibility of developmental delays in the two research areas were the child's age, exposure to screen time, stimulation, nutritional status, and the use of the mother–child handbook. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this review of the literature was to find and summarize relevant research evidence available within the scientific sources and gray literature in accordance with the JBI recommendations. Search question: What effect does Basal Stimulation have on the cognitive–behavioral functions or temperament of a preterm or disabled infant? Methods: The following sources were searched: PSYCINFO, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, ERIC, Wiley Online Library, ProQuest Scopus, WOS, JSTOR, Google Scholar, and MedNar. The study contains an analysis of texts that have been published in the English, Czech, and German languages. The search time span was set at 15 years. Results: A total of 15 sources were found for the specified topic. Conclusions: In all cases, there was confirmation about the positive influence of the concept of "Basal Stimulation" on the cognitive–behavioral functions and temperament of premature and disabled children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Most research with the mobile paradigm has the underlying assumption that young infants can selectively move the limb causing the contingent feedback from the mobile while avoiding irrelevant motor responses. Contrary to this long‐held belief, others have argued that such differentiation ability is not fully developed early in life. In the current study, we revisited the traditional mobile paradigm with a contemporary research approach (using high‐precision motion capture techniques, a yoked‐control design, and a large sample size) to investigate whether response differentiation ability emerges before 5 months of age. The data collected from 76 infants (aged between 115 and 159 days) revealed that infants can learn sensorimotor contingencies by increasing the movement of the connected leg relative to their baseline level. However, they did not differentially increase the movement of the leg causing an effect in the environment compared with that of other limbs. Our results illustrate that response differentiation ability emerges later than previously suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Owing to immaturity of their body systems, preterm neonates are susceptible to feeding intolerance and slowed growth among others. Tactilekinesthetic stimulation (TKS), a moderate pressure of the skin and joint movement has been widely researched on among preterm neonates with the studies predominately focusing on weight gain and its potential underlying mechanism. Objective: To determine effect of TKS on amount of feeds, feeding intolerance and weight of moderate and late preterm neonates. Methods: A quasi-experimental study comprising 72 preterm neonates (36 in each group) was conducted. Subjects were consecutively recruited into TKS and control groups. Study participants in the interventional group received TKS thrice a day for 15 minutes per session for 10 days while those in the control group had routine care: hygiene, weighing and feeding. Amount of feeds and signs of feeding intolerance were assessed on the 3rd, 10th, 17th and 23rd day of life and weighing on alternate days. Results: Participants in the interventional group had fewer episodes of feeding intolerance compared to control group on the 10th (p = .032), 17th (p = .0009) and 23rd (p = .006) day of life. Moderate preterm neonates didn’t differ in weight gain between the two groups however; late preterm neonates in the interventional group had significantly more weight gain than the control group. Conclusion: Tactile-kinesthetic stimulation reduces feeding intolerance and enhances weight gain in moderate preterm neonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: Noxious sensory inputs from the neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and lack of placental support negatively impact neuronal organization which has implications later in life. Evidence regarding early interventions (EI) on preterm neonates (PN) at high risk for developmental motor disorders is limited and inconclusive. This study focuses on neuromotor changes following Multimodal stimulations (MMS) with sensory and motor interventions among stable hospitalized PNs. METHODS: This single-center, non-blinded pre-test post-test control group study will recruit 60 PNs admitted to the Level II and III NICU of a recognized tertiary care teaching hospital by convenience sampling method into two groups by block randomization. Group A (n = 30) will receive MMS trial lasting for 30 minutes per session for five days per week, until discharge of the neonate from the NICU; Group B (n = 30) will receive regular lifesaving care from the NICU. Anthropometric evaluation, physiological status, and Infant Neurological International Battery (INFANIB) will be the outcome measures used to analyze the neuromotor behavioral modifications among the hospitalized PNs. All the outcome measures will be recorded at baseline, after every five days (to compare trajectories of scores between the groups), and at the end of the intervention at the time of discharge of neonate from the NICU. RESULTS: Demographic and outcome measures will be assessed for their normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Within and between-group comparisons will be analyzed by the repeated measures analysis of variance/Friedman test and independent t-test/Mann-Whitney U test respectively. CONCLUSION: MMS, which includes both sensory and motor interventions, will, to the best of the authors' knowledge, be the first trial for modifying the neuromotor behavior of hospitalized PNs. If successful, the clinical effects of this protocol could be revolutionary in mitigating developmental impairments of PNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intellectual stimulation at the earliest stages of life should be one of the most important concerns of specialists and international organizations in the field of health and well-being as well as in education. Numerous reports indicate a correlation between the emotional state of the newborn and the influence of the environment, especially in relation to the mother's living conditions. On the other hand, this study aims to present the meaning of intellectual stimulation, which in fact begins even before birth. The quality and extent of intellectual stimulation activities undertaken can. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The early developmental interventions might be designed with a preventative approach to improving the development of at-risk preterm infants. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an early physiotherapy intervention on preterm infants' motor and global development, and on parents' stress index. Methods: 48 infants were enrolled and randomized into two groups. Infants allocated to the intervention group received an early physiotherapy intervention, based on parental education sessions and tactile and kinesthetic stimulation during the NICU period, as well as a home-based activity program. The intervention commenced after 32 weeks post-menstrual age and ended at 2 months corrected age. Infants allocated to the control group received the usual care based on the NIDCAP-care. Results: No differences were found between groups on the Alberta Infant Motor Scale at 2- or 8-months corrected age. Infants in the intervention group showed more optimal fine motor, problem-solving, personal-social, and communication development at 1 month corrected age. Conclusions: The results showed no effect on the early physiotherapy intervention. Results might be related to the dose or intensity of the intervention, but also to the poor parental compliance. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03313427. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infants in laboratory settings look longer at events that violate their expectations, learn better about objects that behave unexpectedly, and match utterances to the objects that likely elicited them. The paradigms revealing these behaviors have become cornerstones of research on preverbal cognition. However, little is known about whether these canonical behaviors are observed outside laboratory settings. Here, we describe a series of online protocols that replicate classic laboratory findings, detailing our methods throughout. In Experiment 1a, 15‐month‐old infants (N = 24) looked longer at an online support event culminating in an Unexpected outcome (i.e., appearing to defy gravity) than an Expected outcome. Infants did not, however, show the same success with an online solidity event. In Experiment 1b, 15‐month‐old infants (N = 24) showed surprise‐induced learning following online events—they were better able to learn a novel object's label when the object had behaved unexpectedly compared to when it behaved expectedly. Finally, in Experiment 2, 16‐month‐old infants (N = 20) who heard a valenced utterance ("Yum!") showed preferential looking to the object most likely to have generated that utterance. Together, these results suggest that, with some adjustments, online testing is a feasible and promising approach for infant cognition research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The psychomotor development of the child depends on the parents, but mainly the brothers and grandparents participate. Objective: To describe the participation of the family in the early psychomotor stimulation of older infants living in a marginal urban area. Methods: Qualitative ethnographic study. The sample was represented by 15 mothers of older infants who attend the growth and development control at their local health center; The data were collected in their homes through the interview, participant observation and field diary and were processed through thematic analysis. Results: a) Stimulation of fine and gross motor skills, b) Stimulation of language and cognitive learning c) Socio-affective stimulation and learning of values. Conclusions: In this study, the family members stimulate the older infant in their daily lives through play, using materials from the home, toys, technological equipment such as television, radio and cell phones. However, cell phone use should be controlled to avoid eye, cognitive and addictive problems. Therefore, it is recommended that the primary care nurse assess their practices at home before providing health education on infant stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Investigacion & Educacion en Enfermeria is the property of Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Enfermeria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Most preterm neonates are unable to achieve independent oral feeding and are fed using tubes. Premature infant oral motor intervention (PIOMI) is effective in initiating early oral feeding and reducing hospital stays. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of PIOMI on feeding performance, duration of hospital stay, and weight of preterm neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: This was a parallel randomized controlled trial conducted in Egypt. Sixty preterm neonates born between 30 and 34 weeks of gestation were randomly selected (30 in the study group and 30 in the control group). The study was conducted at the NICU in Sohag, Egypt, over 3 months from October to December 2019. Two tools were used: demographic data of preterm neonates according to gestational age, sex, weight, and diagnosis, and PIOMI. Results: Among the preterm neonates in the study group, full oral feeding was achieved significantly earlier (P = .03), milk leakage decreased significantly (P = .001), weight was significantly higher (P = .018), and the duration of hospital stay was significantly lower (P = .014) than that in the control group. Conclusion: Premature infant oral motor intervention was effective in improving preterm neonates' feeding performance, reducing the duration of hospital stay, and increasing their weight. This study recommended that a training program for nurses in the NICU about PIOMI for preterm neonates be conducted, along with training of the parents to use PIOMI and the implementation of policies in the NICU to conduct PIOMI as a part of daily routine preterm neonatal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that postnatal depression (PND) is higher in low- and middle-income countries as compared to higher-income countries. Despite this, little is known about practical interventions in these poorly resourced countries. This research investigated the effectiveness of a brief, prophylactic and therapeutic psychoeducational intervention in a low-resourced community in Nairobi. Two closely similar Maternal and Child Health (MCH) clinics in urban slums in Nairobi were identified and randomly selected. A total of 567 mothers formed the study population. The experimental group (284) mothers received the intervention, which included psychoeducation on PND, coping skills, healthy way of mother/child interaction and infant stimulation in addition to routine treatment, while the control group (283) mothers received treatment as usual. Data was collected using a social-demographic questionnaire and the English version of Becks Depression Inventory (BDI) at baseline. At 6 months, we reassessed both groups using BDI only. Within group comparison, the percentage reduction of depression was 35.6% among the experimental as compared to 2.3% in the control group. Between group comparison, the mean BDI depression score was significantly low in the experimental arm compared to the control arm at endline (p = 0.025). When all variables were adjusted, using a generalized linear model, BDI depression score reduction among the participants was significantly associated with the intervention (p = 0.040). A brief, psychoeducational intervention that targets the mother and her infant may reduce PND even in poorly resourced environments. Therefore, it can be integrated into existing MCH services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prematurity deprives infants of the prenatal sensory stimulation essential to their correct development; in addition, the stressful environment of the NICU impacts negatively on their growth. The purpose of this review was to investigate the effects of NICU noise pollution on preterm infants and parents. We focused on the systems and projects used to control and modulate sounds, as well as on those special devices and innovative systems used to deliver maternal sounds and vibrations to this population. The results showed beneficial effects on the preterm infants in different areas such as physiological, autonomic, and neurobehavioral development. Although most of these studies highlight positive reactions, there is also a general acknowledgement of the current limits: small and heterogeneous groups, lack of structured variable measurements, systematic control groups, longitudinal studies, and normative values. The mother's presence is always preferred, but the use of music therapy and the devices analyzed, although not able to replace her presence, aim to soften her absence through familiar and protective stimuli, which is a very powerful aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the world, 1 billion children live in poverty. Regarding developing countries, Brazil has the highest rate of social inequality. Environmental factors may impact child development and, consequently, functionality. to analyze the association between environmental factors and affordances in the home environment of healthy infants exposed to low socioeconomic status (SES). At 3 months old, 128 full-term healthy infants were divided into two groups: the exposed group (EG), infants classified as low SES, and the comparison group (CG), infants without low SES exposition; both according to the income-to-poverty ratio (PIR). The affordances in the home environment were measured by The Home Environment for Motor Development – Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS); physical space, variety of stimulation, gross-motor toys, fine-motor toys, and total score. It classified the affordances: as less than adequate (LTA), moderately adequate (MA), adequate (A), and excellent (E). In the SPSS 2.0, comparison tests and stepwise multiple linear regression were performed (p < 0.05). Infants of the EG had significantly the lowest mean in length at birth (p=0.03; Cohen's r= 0.157); PIR (p<0.01; Cohen's r= 0.351); maternal age (p<0.01; Cohen's r= 0.50); marital status of guardians (p<0.01; Cohen's r= 0.31); the number of children living in the household (p<0.0001; Cohen's r= 0.29); and maternal education (p<0.01; Cohen's r= 0.73). The home environment of the EG presented less affordances for child development in the dimensions of gross motor toys (p<0.0001; Cohen's r= 0.353; EG, md= 2.00 [1.00 – 3.00] vs GC, md 3.00 [2.00 – 4.50]); fine motor skills (p=0.0001 Cohen's r= 0.327; EG, md= 1.00 [0.00 – 2.00] vs GC, md 2.00 [1.00 – 4.00]); and the total score (p<0.0001; Cohen's r= 0.377; EG, md=15.00 [13.00 – 18.00] vs GC, md = 19.00 [16.00 – 22.00]). Maternal age was a protective factor for obtaining the LTA score (p = 0.043, OR: 0.829 [0.692 - 0.994]). Therefore, each additional year in maternal age decreases 17.01-fold the chance the affordances in the home environment score LTA. The home environment of infants exposed to poverty presented less adequate affordances for neuropsychomotor development, mainly in the dimensions of gross motor toys, fine motor toys, and, consequently, total score. In contrast, the higher the maternal age, the better the results regarding the quantity and quality of affordances present in the home environment. Knowledge about offering adequate affordances for neuropsychomotor development is essential for providing healthy child development. Basic kits of age-appropriate toys offered during the follow-up may be useful as palliative and low-cost tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurodevelopmental stimulation programmes can improve developmental outcomes. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) started soon after birth potentially limits the invasion of HIV into the central nervous system. A combination of developmental stimulation and early ART initiation may reduce developmental delays in children with perinatally acquired HIV infection. Methods: At a single site in Johannesburg, South Africa, we enrolled 36 HIV‐infected neonates on ART into an intervention group (IG) participating in a yearlong home‐based, neurodevelopmental stimulation programme. Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development‐3rd Edition (BSID‐III) assessments were conducted at 12 months. Scores were compared with 24 early treated HIV‐infected infants in an observational group (OG). BSID‐III assessments were also conducted for older children in an OG at 24 or 36 months. Cognitive, language and motor scaled and composite scores were analysed. Results: BSID‐III scaled and composite scores were all higher in the IG apart from the gross motor scaled score (9.25 vs. 10, p = 0.1954). Receptive communication scaled score was significantly higher in the IG (10.96 vs. 9, p = 0.0331). IG composite scores were all higher than OG scores. OG children assessed at 24 or 36 months had lower composite scores in all subscales than 12‐month OG scores. Conclusions: Early treated HIV‐infected children participating in a neurodevelopmental stimulation programme achieved higher BSID‐III scores at 12 months compared with early treated HIV‐infected children who did not receive the programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to develop a theoretical model about the care of children with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome in the family context. Method: the Straussian Grounded Theory and the theoretical/philosophical framework of Callista Roy and Leonardo Boff were used. It was carried out in northeastern Brazil, with 19 participants, in four sample groups. The data were collected and analyzed simultaneously, using the constant comparison method. Results: the theoretical model comprising the mother's care for the child with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome in the family context is formed by five categories: revealing family care, centered on the mother, to the child with the syndrome; identifying the maternal bond that determines the care for children with the syndrome in the family context; identifying the factors that hinder the mother's care for the child with the syndrome; recognizing the evolution of the child with the syndrome in the face of early stimulation care; and recognizing harms due to the absence of early stimulus to children with the syndrome. Conclusion: the phenomenon runs through the care of the child with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome, in the family context and centered on the mother, and is faced with the need for shared responsibility among the family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first three years of a toddler is a golden period for optimal brain growth and development. Growth and development of infants will be in line with the optimal age increase, if appropriate stimulation is carried out routinely, this study aims to analyze the effectiveness of early stimulation guidelines to optimize the development of infants in maritime communities. This research method is a quasi experiment with pre and post test design with control group. The population in the study were all toddlers with a sample of 30 people (case group of 15 people and control of 15 people). Sampling is done by simple random sampling. Data were analyzed using paired T-Test to analyze differences in development before and after the administration of early stiumulation, and pooled T-Test to analyze the effect of early accumulation on toddler development by comparing the development between case groups and control groups. The results of the study found that the provision of early stimulation was effective in optimizing the development of children under five in the maritime community in Posyandu, Lapulu Village, the working area of Abeli Puskesmas, Kendari City in 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During their second year of life, infants develop a rudimentary understanding of grammatical categories based on their knowledge and use of frequent function words. The current study inquired whether, at only 14 months of age, infants can track co‐occurrence patterns between function words and content words (e.g., determiners can precede nouns, and pronouns can precede verbs), and use these previously encountered syntactic contexts to build expectations about which function words can co‐occur with novel words. Using a habituation paradigm, French‐learning 14‐month‐olds were presented with utterances containing two novel words preceded by function words (either two determiners in the Novel Nouns condition or two pronouns in the Novel Verbs conditions). We found that at test, infants looked longer during trials in which the novel words occurred in an unexpected syntactic context (following a pronoun for infants in the Novel Nouns condition and following a determiner for infants in the pooled analysis of the three Novel Verbs conditions). Hence, our results confirm previous findings on infants' sensitivity to noun contexts and most importantly demonstrate that their sensitivity to the co‐occurrence of verbs with pronouns begins much earlier than previously understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical models assume that parental knowledge about child development and caregiving motivates parental stimulation, shaping child development. Evidence supporting these models is scarce in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). This study tests the relations between maternal knowledge, stimulation, and child development in a Colombian sample of 1,277 low‐income mothers and their children under the age of five. Mothers showed diverse knowledge about child development and caregiving. Moreover, maternal knowledge when children were 9–26 months old indirectly predicted growth in children's cognitive, receptive language, and gross motor skills at ages 27–46 months, partially through maternal engagement in stimulating activities with the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study is aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an oral stimulation protocol in preterm infants compared to usual care, to reduce the time for achieving safe full oral feeding. Methods: 47 preterm infants (25- 30 weeks of gestational age) were randomized into two groups. Babies of the EG (n = 24) received a 10-minute oral stimulation protocol while the CG (n = 23) received the standard care. The primary outcome were the days from the initiation of the intervention until the achievement of full oral feeding. Secondary outcomes were: days from the first day the intervention started until achieving a first oral intake of 30% in the first 5 minutes, days from the first day the intervention started until achieving a first oral intake of 100%, and days of hospitalization. A parametric survival model with Gaussian distribution was used. Results: The EG achieved full oral feeding 8.3 days before the CG (p = 0.013). EG also achieved the first oral intake of 30% in the first five minutes, 6.03 days before (p = 0.019) and of 100%, 5.88 days before (p = 0.040). EG also spent 6.9 days less hospitalized than CG (p = 0.028). Conclusion: Oral stimulation in preterm infants significantly shortens the time to achieve full oral feeding and reduces the length of hospitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective  This study aimed to explore the clinical significance of early premature infant oral motor intervention (PIOMI) in the prognosis of premature infants. Study Design  Infants were randomly divided into an intervention group (n  = 78) and a control group (n  = 73). PIOMI was given to the intervention group 15 to 30 minutes before feeding once a day for 14 days. The whole procedure lasted 15 minutes, including oral stimulation and nonnutritive sucking. Oral feeding ability and neuromotor development were evaluated using the Preterm Infant Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment (PIOFRA) scale and Infant Neurological International Battery (Infanib) scale. Results  The PIOFRA score was higher in the intervention group and increased with time, showing a group–time interaction effect. The intervention group exhibited a higher feeding efficiency, a shorter transition time from assisted oral feeding to independent oral feeding, and lower body weight at achievement of independent oral feeding. The percentages of infants with a normal score on the Infanib scale were higher in the intervention group at 3 and 6 months of age, and an abnormal ratio was lower in the intervention group at 6 months (p  < 0.01). Conclusion  PIOMI promoted neuromotor coordination by improving neurodevelopment, thereby improving the oral feeding ability and prognosis of preterm infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective  To assess the effect of range-of-motion exercise program on bone mineralization and somatic growth of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Study Design  A total of 36 VLBW infants were randomized into 18 VLBW infants receiving range-of-motion exercise and 18 VLBW control infants receiving tactile stimulation for 4 weeks. Laboratory investigations were performed at baseline and postexercise and included serum calcium, serum phosphorus (s.PO 4), magnesium, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urinary calcium/phosphate ratio, and serum carboxy-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed at the end of the exercise protocol to measure bone mineral content, bone mineral density (BMD), bone area, lean mass, and fat mass. Results  The weight and the rate of weight gain were significantly higher (p  < 0.001) in the exercise group compared with controls postexercise. Also, higher s.PO 4 , lower ALP, and lower urinary calcium/phosphate ratio were observed postexercise in the exercise group (p  = 0.001, p  = 0.005, and p  = 0.04, respectively), whereas serum CTX showed no difference between the two groups (p  = 0.254). Postexercise BMD significantly improved in the exercise group (p  < 0.001) compared with controls. Conclusion  Although the sample size was small, we may be able to suggest favorable effects of range-of-motion exercise versus tactile stimulation on bone metabolism, BMD, and short-term growth in VLBW infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective  The main objective of this article is to define perceptions of health care professionals regarding current use of sensory-based interventions in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Study Design  A multidisciplinary group of NICU health care professionals (n  = 108) defined the types of sensory-based interventions used in their NICU, the postmenstrual age (PMA) sensory-based interventions are administered, conditions under which sensory-based interventions are used, and personnel who administer sensory-based interventions. Results  The most commonly reported tactile intervention was infant holding (88% of respondents), the most common auditory intervention was recorded music/singing (69% of respondents), the most common kinesthetic intervention was occupational and physical therapy (85% of respondents), and the most common vestibular intervention was infant swings (86% of respondents). Tactile interventions were initiated most often at 24 to 26 weeks PMA (74% of respondents), auditory interventions at 30 to 32 weeks (60% of respondents), kinesthetic interventions at 30 to 32 weeks (76% of respondents), vestibular interventions at 33 to 34 weeks (86% of respondents), and visual interventions at 32 to 36 weeks (72% of respondents). Conditions under which sensory-based interventions were administered, and personnel who provided them, varied across settings. Conclusion  Varied use of sensory-based interventions in the NICU were reported. While this study was limited by biased sampling and the identification of health care professionals' perceptions but not real-world practice, this information can be used to build a comprehensive approach to positive sensory exposures in the NICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study evaluates the effectiveness of a center-based childcare program, namely, the stimulation, interaction, motivation, and experience (SIME) program for infants and toddlers. Method: Fifty-eight children between 1 and 2 years of age and their parents and childcare workers were recruited from two childcare centers in Hong Kong and participated in the SIME program over a 1-year period. Eighty-seven children from four other childcare centers served as controls. All children were grouped by age (1- vs. 2-year-old class). Results: The SIME program had positive effects on motor, language, cognitive and social development, parenting practices, and the quality of relationships with parents and childcare workers, especially for 1-year-old children and children from the center that served mainly families with a lower socioeconomic status (SES). Conclusion: The outcomes in 1-year-old children and children from the lower SES center confirm the success of this type of center-based infant–toddler program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of providing massage (tactile and kinesthetic stimulation) on behavioural responses for preterm infants. Background: These infants have immature central nervous systems. Sleep–wake states during infancy have been shown to reflect severity of disease developments, and the nervous system and brain maturation. Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental study with before and after design conducted on 45 preterm infants who were admitted in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The subjects received massage 15 min per day for 5 days using field massage technique. Behavioural responses were measured by behavioural state, motor activity and behavioural distress. Data were obtained 10 min before and 10 min after the providing massage period. Results: An increase was observed in sleep state score after providing massage. And also, the awake, fidgeting and motor activity scores reduced after providing massage. No significant change was seen in the total behavioural distress. Conclusion: The findings suggest that providing field massage had soothing and calming effect on preterm infants and could be beneficial in nursing intervention. Nurses working in neonatal intensive care unit need to be educated on how to performing the massage on preterm infants. Abbreviation: NICU: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present two habituation experiments that examined 20‐ and 26‐month‐olds' ability to engage in second‐order correlation learning for static and dynamic features, whereby learned associations between two pairs of features (e.g., P and Q, P and R) are generalized to the features that were not presented together (e.g., Q and R). We also present results from an associative learning mechanism that was implemented as an autoencoder parallel distributed processing (PDP) network in which second‐order correlation learning is shown to be an emergent property of the dynamics of the network. The experiments and simulation demonstrate that 20‐ and 26‐month‐olds as well as neural networks are capable of second‐order correlation learning in a category context for internal features of dynamic objects. However, the model predicts—and Experiment 3 demonstrates—that 20‐ and 26‐month‐olds are unable to encode second‐order correlations in a noncategory context for dynamic objects with internal features. It is proposed that the ability to learn second‐order correlations represents a powerful but as yet unexplored process for generalization in the first years of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of an educational intervention with mothers to stimulate children under two years of age at risk for neuropsychomotor development. Method: Before-after intervention study, conducted with 52 mothers of children under two years old, enrolled in reference centers in early childhood education. Initially, maternal knowledge regarding child development and stimulation was assessed through a structured instrument. Then, workshops were held with the mothers and, after three months, maternal knowledge was revised, reapplying the data collection instrument. In the analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics were used, applying the McNemar and Wilcoxon tests and the Rasch Model from the Item Response Theory. Results: after the intervention, there was a significant increase in scores regarding the following aspects: knowledge of mothers about child development and stimulation from 5.77 ± 1.85 to 18.60 ± 1.94 (p <0.001); reduction of the maternal difficulty index in answering the instrument questions from 1.17 ± 0.57 to -1.98 ± 1.63 (p 0.01). Conclusion: the educational intervention contributed to the improvement of maternal knowledge regarding the development and forms of child stimulation, corroborating the importance of this action to advance the health of children at risk under maternal care at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to measure the effect of an infant stimulation therapy (auditory, tactile, visual and vestibular) on the adaptation to postnatal life of the mother-child dyad. Method: an experimental and blind study composed of 120 dyads of first-time mothers and full-term newborns, who practiced breastfeeding. The follow-up was conducted during the first five weeks of life and the evaluation was carried at two different times. Results: the adaptive capacity was measured in two modes. The physiological adaptive mode (activity and exercise and neonatal nutrition) and the interdependence adaptive mode (appropriate affection and proper development); and statistically significant differences were found in favor of the experimental group. Regression models that show the collaborative relationship between mother and child, and their reciprocity in the process of adaptation were proposed. Conclusion: the early stimulation is a therapy with bidirectional effect, because it has favorable effects on the person who administers it; promotes health and prevents illness in the process of adaptation to birth; especially in contexts of vulnerability. It is recommended its teaching to mothers and its application in the home environment. This study was registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ANZCTR) under protocol number: ACTRN12617000449336. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multisensory attention skills provide a crucial foundation for early cognitive, social, and language development, yet there are no fine-grained, individual difference measures of these skills appropriate for preverbal children. The Multisensory Attention Assessment Protocol (MAAP) fills this need. In a single video-based protocol requiring no language skills, the MAAP assesses individual differences in three fundamental building blocks of attention to multisensory events--the duration of attention maintenance, the accuracy of intersensory (audiovisual) matching, and the speed of shifting--for both social and nonsocial events, in the context of high and low competing visual stimulation. In Experiment 1, 2- to 5-year-old children (N = 36) received the MAAP and assessments of language and cognitive functioning. In Experiment 2 the procedure was streamlined and presented to 12-month-olds (N = 48). Both infants and children showed high levels of attention maintenance to social and nonsocial events, impaired attention maintenance and speed of shifting when competing stimulation was high, and significant intersensory matching. Children showed longer maintenance, faster shifting, and less impairment from competing stimulation than infants. In 2- to 5-year-old children, duration and accuracy were intercorrelated, showed increases with age, and predicted cognitive and language functioning. The MAAP opens the door to assessing developmental pathways between early attention patterns to audiovisual events and language, cognitive, and social development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Hospitalised newborn infants may be stressed due to inappropriate sensory stimuli and early separation from their families, that can negatively impact their neurodevelopment. The French Group of Reflection and Evaluation of the Environment of Newborns (GREEN) issues guidelines based on environmental neonatology and family-centred care. The first recommendation focuses on private family rooms versus large shared rooms.Methods: These guidelines are based on a systematic evaluation of the literature providing different grades of evidence. Internal and external reviews by multidisciplinary experts examined the scientific evidence of all recommendations. The literature search was performed for the period January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2016 with the keywords 'single room' or 'private room' and 'neonatal intensive care unit'.Results: A total of 25 studies were retained. Most studies reported a positive impact of private rooms on the health of newborn infants and satisfaction of families. Private rooms could lead to sensory deprivation if there is low parental involvement with limited presence and to reduced interaction among caregivers.Conclusion: We recommend that neonatal units should mostly have private rooms. With this architectural design, we recommend supporting the staff's needs for changes in the organisation and philosophy of care and to provide improved family support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on how the body schema develops during the first months of life, by investigating infants’ motor responses to localized vibrotactile stimulation on their limbs. Vibrotactile stimulation was provided by small buzzers that were attached to the infants’ four limbs one at a time. Four age groups were compared cross‐sectionally (3‐, 4‐, 5‐, and 6‐month‐olds). We show that before they actually reach for the buzzer, which, according to previous studies, occurs around 7–8 months of age, infants demonstrate emerging knowledge about their body's configuration by producing specific movement patterns associated with the stimulated body area. At 3 months, infants responded with an increase in general activity when the buzzer was placed on the body, independently of the vibrator's location. Differentiated topographical awareness of the body seemed to appear around 5 months, with specific responses resulting from stimulation of the hands emerging first, followed by the differentiation of movement patterns associated with the stimulation of the feet. Qualitative analyses revealed specific movement types reliably associated with each stimulated location by 6 months of age, possibly preparing infants’ ability to actually reach for the vibrating target. We discuss this result in relation to newborns’ ability to learn specific movement patterns through intersensory contingency. Statement of contribution what is already known on infants’ sensorimotor knowledge about their own bodies 3‐month‐olds readily learn to produce specific limb movements to obtain a desired effect (movement of a mobile). infants detect temporal and spatial correspondences between events involving their own body and visual events. what the present study adds until 4–5 months of age, infants mostly produce general motor responses to localized touch. this is because in the present study, infants could not rely on immediate contingent feedback. we propose a cephalocaudal developmental trend of topographic differentiation of body areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, numerous studies have reported that infants prefer prosocial agents (those who provide help, comfort, or fairness in distributive actions) to antisocial agents (those who harm others or distribute goods unfairly). We meta-analyzed the results of published and unpublished studies on infants aged 4-32 months and estimated that approximately two infants out of three, when given a choice between a prosocial and an antisocial agent, choose the former. This preference was not significantly affected by age or other factors, such as the type of dependent variable (selective reaching or helping) or the modality of stimulus presentation (cartoons or real events). Effect size was affected by the type of familiarization events: giving/taking actions increased its magnitude compared with helping/hindering actions. There was evidence of a publication bias, suggesting that the effect size in published studies is likely to be inflated. Also, the distribution of children who chose the prosocial agent in experiments with N = 16 suggested a file-drawer problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An ability to detect the common location of multisensory stimulation is essential for us to perceive a coherent environment, to represent the interface between the body and the external world, and to act on sensory information. Regarding the tactile environment “at hand”, we need to represent somatosensory stimuli impinging on the skin surface in the same spatial reference frame as distal stimuli, such as those transduced by vision and audition. Across two experiments we investigated whether 6‐ (n = 14; Experiment 1) and 4‐month‐old (n = 14; Experiment 2) infants were sensitive to the colocation of tactile and auditory signals delivered to the hands. We recorded infants’ visual preferences for spatially congruent and incongruent auditory‐tactile events delivered to their hands. At 6 months, infants looked longer toward incongruent stimuli, whilst at 4 months infants looked longer toward congruent stimuli. Thus, even from 4 months of age, infants are sensitive to the colocation of simultaneously presented auditory and tactile stimuli. We conclude that 4‐ and 6‐month‐old infants can represent auditory and tactile stimuli in a common spatial frame of reference. We explain the age‐wise shift in infants’ preferences from congruent to incongruent in terms of an increased preference for novel crossmodal spatial relations based on the accumulation of experience. A comparison of looking preferences across the congruent and incongruent conditions with a unisensory control condition indicates that the ability to perceive auditory‐tactile colocation is based on a crossmodal rather than a supramodal spatial code by 6 months of age at least. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Occupational studies suggest that exposure to organophosphate insecticides (OPs) can lead to vision or hearing loss. Yet the effects of early-life exposure on visual and auditory function are unknown. Here we examined associations between prenatal OP exposure and grating visual acuity (VA) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) during infancy.Methods: 30 OPs were measured in umbilical cord blood using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in a cohort of Chinese infants. Grating visual acuity (VA) (n = 179-200) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) (n = 139-183) were assessed at 6 weeks, 9 months, and 18 months. Outcomes included VA score, ABR wave V latency and central conduction time, and head circumference (HC). Associations between sensory outcomes during infancy and cord OPs were examined using linear mixed models.Results: Prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure was associated with lower 9-month grating VA scores; scores were 0.64 (95% CI: -1.22, -0.06) points lower for exposed versus unexposed infants (p = 0.03). The OPs examined were not associated with infant ABR latencies, but chlorpyrifos and phorate were both significantly inversely associated with HC at 9 months; HCs were 0.41 (95% CI: 0.75, 0.6) cm and 0.44 (95% CI: 0.88, 0.1) cm smaller for chlorpyrifos (p = 0.02) and phorate (p = 0.04), respectively.Conclusions: We found deficits in grating VA and HC in 9-month-old infants with prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos. The clinical significance of these small but statistically significant deficits is unclear. However, the disruption of visual or auditory pathway maturation in infancy could potentially negatively affect downstream cognitive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Stunting is associated with impaired cognitive and motor function. The effect of an education intervention including nutrition, stimulation, sanitation, and hygiene on child growth and cognitive/language/motor development, delivered to impoverished mothers in Uganda, was assessed. In a community‐based, open cluster‐randomized trial, 511 mother/children dyads aged 6–8 months were enrolled to an intervention (n = 263) or control (n = 248) group. The primary outcome was change in length‐for‐age z‐score at age 20–24 months. Secondary outcomes included anthropometry and scores on the 2 developmental scales: Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development‐III and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. There was no evidence of a difference in mean length‐for‐age z‐score at 20–24 months between the 2 study groups: 0.10, 95% CI [−0.17, 0.36], p = .49. The intervention group had higher mean composite development scores than the controls on Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development‐III, the mean difference being 15.6, 95% CI [10.9, 20.2], p = .0001; 9.9, 95% CI [6.4, 13.2], p = .0001; and 14.6, 95% CI [10.9, 18.2], p = .0001, for cognitive, language, and motor composite scores, respectively. The mean difference in scores from the Ages and Stages Questionnaire were 7.0, 95% CI [2.9, 11.3], p = .001; 5.9, 95% CI [1.2, 10.3], p = .01; 4.2, 95% CI [1.7, 6.7], p = .001; 8.9, 95% CI [5.3, 12.3], p = .0001; and 4.4, 95% CI [0.0, 8.8], p = .05, for communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal–social development, respectively. The intervention education delivered to mothers promoted early development domains in cognitive, language, and motor development but not linear growth of small children in impoverished rural communities in Uganda. Our study showed that child development may be improved with a relatively low cost intervention strategy. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT02098031. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to discriminate the trajectories of moving objects is highly adaptive and fundamental for physical and social interactions. Therefore, we could reasonably expect sensitivity to different trajectories already at birth, as a precursor of later communicative and defensive abilities. To investigate this possibility, we measured newborns' looking behavior to evaluate their ability to discriminate between visual stimuli depicting motion along different trajectories happening within the space surrounding their body. Differently from previous studies, we did not take into account defensive reactions, which may not be elicited by impending collision as newborns might not categorize approaching stimuli as possible dangers. In two experiments, we showed that newborns display a spontaneous visual preference for trajectories directed toward their body. We found this visual preference when visual stimuli depicted motion in opposite directions (approaching vs. receding) as well as when they both moved toward the peripersonal space and differed only in their specific target (i.e., the body vs. the space around it). These findings suggest that at birth human infants seem to be already equipped with visual mechanisms predisposing them to perceive their presence in the environment and to adaptively focus their attention on the peripersonal space and their bodily self. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early exposure to age-appropriate, meaningful auditory stimuli, such as lullaby singing, has been shown to advance various medical and developmental goals in premature infants in the NICU while reducing medical costs. A primary goal of NICU music therapists is to control auditory stimuli in the unit to help premature infants reach the greatest possible sedation. In hospitals with limited or no NICU music therapy (NICU-MT) coverage, nurses and other NICU staff can play an important role in providing neuroprotection to these premature infants while also optimizing neurodevelopment via use of recorded music. Based on current literature, this article provides a set of evidence-based guidelines for the use of recorded music with premature infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]