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Sensitivity Training For Parents of Preterm Infants

NCT00883974 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 45

Last updated 2009-10-29

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Immediately following birth, preterm infants face a period of stressful environmental inputs, which may have negative consequences on early brain development and subsequent neurobehavioral outcomes. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of training parents in reducing stressful experiences early in life. The investigators hypothesized that this intervention would insulate preterm infants from the harmful effects of acute and chronic stress, which in turn would result in enhanced brain development. The primary aim of the current study was to investigate if this intervention was associated with improved brain development measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at term-equivalent age. A secondary aim was to assess some possible short-term medical benefits.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Sensitivity Training

The parent sensitivity training program was delivered in NICU (9 sessions) with a home-booster session. Therapists worked with parents following a manualized protocol. Targets of intervention included: recognizing signs of infant stress, "shut-down" mechanisms, alert-available behavior, motor behaviors, facial expressions,posture/muscle tone; graded stimulation; how to optimize interactions; touch, movement and massage; "kangaroo care" (nesting infants skin-to-skin against their mother); vocal, visual and multi-sensory stimulation; normalizing parental feelings; challenging dysfunctional thinking, and diary keeping.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Principal Investigators

  • Jeannette Milgrom, PhD · University of Melbourne/Austin Health

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2004-04-30
Primary Completion
2005-08-31
Completion
2005-09-30

Countries

  • Australia

Study Locations

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Diseases
Companies

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00883974 on ClinicalTrials.gov