A 3-Year Early Home Intervention Follow-up Study with Low Birthweight Infants and Their Parents

Abstract

The long-term effects of early home intervention with very low birthweight (VLBW, less than 1,500 g) and high birthweight (HBW, 1,501 to 2,000 g) preterm infants were investigated at 5 years of age. Outcome measures were obtained on the children's development and the caretaking environment. On the Minnesota Child Development Inventory, an inventory completed by the mother, the VLBW control children scored lower than children in the other groups in expressive language, comprehension, and personal-social skills. A similar pattern was observed in visual-motor skills. In addition, the home environment scores of the treatment children were significantly higher than those of the control children. Because the sample of VLBW children was small, replication of the birthweight by treatment interaction is suggested for further research. Despite study limitations, the results provide evidence of the long-term benefits of early home intervention with biologically at-risk children.