SynthesisDevelopmental medicine and child neurology2020
Effect of neonatal therapy on the motor, cognitive, and behavioral development of infants born preterm: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Developmental medicine and child neurology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07449312 (Movement Imitation Therapy for Preterm Babies), which is not on this map. Cited by 52 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Movement Imitation Therapy for Preterm Babies (MIT-PB): How Does This Early Intervention Influence the Neuromotor Outcome of Infants Presenting Abnormal General Movements?
Who cites it
52 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 112 citations in OpenAlex.
- Motor interventions initiated prior hospital discharge to prevent neurodevelopmental impairment in preterm infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Early interventions with parental participation and their implications on the neurodevelopment of premature children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Early developmental intervention programmes provided post hospital discharge to prevent motor and cognitive impairment in preterm infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- General movement based therapy to support neurodevelopment of preterm infants: a randomized clinical trial.Pediatric research · 2026Trial
- Early developmental support for preterm infants based on exploratory behaviors: A parallel randomized controlled study.Brain and behavior · 2023Trial
- Retrospective observational study of first-year developmental outcomes following congenital microcephaly.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2026Observational
- Effectiveness of Early Physiotherapy Interventions with Guided Parental Involvement on Motor Development in Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review.Pediatric reports · 2026Review
- Immersive physical and occupational therapy in the neonatal intensive care unit: a non-randomized comparative cohort trial protocol.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2026Article
- Experience-based co-design to refine a remote parent-mediated intervention program for preterm infants after NICU discharge: a qualitative study.BMC pediatrics · 2026Article
- Association between parental firefighting status and adverse birth outcomes in Arizona: a cross-sectional study.Occupational and environmental medicine · 2026Article
- Telehealth Delivery of the Homeostasis-Enrichment-Plasticity Approach for Premature Infants With Developmental Risks: Exploratory Feasibility Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Nonpharmacological Pain Management for Premature Neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: A Meta-Analysis.Health science reports · 2026Review
- Key Components of Parenting Education Interventions for Preterm Infant-Parent Dyads Admitted to the NICU: A Systematic Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Communication interventions for high-risk infants: professionals' perspectives on establishing services in Sri Lanka.BMJ paediatrics open · 2025Article
- Fostering positive mental health outcomes in vulnerable children: Pathways to resilience after preterm birth.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2025Article
- Development and Validation of a Nurse-Led Developmental Intervention Package to Improve the Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Preterm Babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.Pediatric discovery · 2025Article
- Interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in established bronchopulmonary dysplasia.Seminars in perinatology · 2025Review
- Interventions to address inequities in infant mortality and morbidity in the NICU and beyond: A focus on the mother-infant dyad.Seminars in perinatology · 2025Review
- Family-Centered Rehabilitation and Parenting Resilience in the Care of an Infant Born at 22 Weeks: A Case Study.Cureus · 2025Article
- In-hospital motor interventions to reduce neurodevelopmental impairment in preterm infants: a scoping review.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
aimTo synthesize the existing literature and determine the efficacy of neonatal therapy, starting in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), on the motor, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes of infants born preterm.
methodDatabases were searched for randomized controlled trials or quasi-randomized controlled trials of direct therapy early intervention for infants with a gestational age of less than 37 weeks, initiated in the NICU and delivered by a therapist or parent with therapist support. Quality was evaluated using the Cochrane standardized risk of bias assessment tool. Recommendations were made using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations approach.
resultsFifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies were categorized into four intervention categories: (1) parent-delivered motor intervention (PDMI); (2) therapist-delivered postural control intervention (TDPCI); (3) developmental care; and (4) oromotor intervention. Risk of bias varied from low (10 studies) to high (three studies) or was unclear (two studies).
interpretationPreliminary support indicates that daily PDMI improves motor and cognitive outcomes in the short-term and possibly long-term. TDPCI is effective in promoting short-term gains in motor development. Developmental care programs designed by a neonatal therapist appear to be effective in improving short-term behavior but are inconclusive for motor and cognitive outcomes or long-term behavioral outcomes. Regarding oromotor interventions, there is insufficient research to be confident in their efficacy on improving developmental outcomes. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Parent-delivered motor interventions (PDMIs) are more effective in improving motor and cognitive outcomes than other interventions. Preliminary support indicates that daily PDMI improves motor and cognitive outcomes in the short- and possibly long-term. Therapist-delivered postural control interventions are effective in promoting short-term gains in motor development. Developmental care programs designed by a neonatal therapist are effective in improving the short-term behavior of infants born preterm. Oral motor interventions were found to have no effect on improving developmental outcomes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.