ReviewFrontiers in pediatrics2026
Developmental care for preterm infants: a scoping review of interventions, outcomes, and implementation contexts.
Review in Frontiers in pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Multisensory stimulation for promoting development and preventing morbidity in preterm infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026Pooled it
- Music-based research in neonatal intensive care units requires guidelines grounded in developmental neurology and responsive to the individual needs of preterm infants.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Preterm infants face high risks of neurodevelopmental, physiological, and psychosocial challenges. Developmental care interventions have become essential strategies to improve infant outcomes and strengthen parental involvement in neonatal intensive care units. Objective: This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the effectiveness, implementation, and contextual adaptability of developmental care interventions for preterm infants. Methods: A systematic search of six databases was conducted for studies published between 2020 and 2025. Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, including randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, cohort, and mixed-method designs. Interventions analyzed included Family Integrated Care (FICare), Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), cue-based care, individualized developmental programs, and environmental modifications. Results: FICare showed consistent benefits in breastfeeding, growth, neurodevelopment, and parental outcomes. KMC improved thermoregulation, cerebral perfusion, and behavioral responses. Cue-based and individualized care enhanced long-term cognitive and motor development, while environmental interventions yielded varied results. Contextual factors-such as parental literacy, infrastructure, and cultural norms-were key to implementation success. Evidence from LMICs emphasized the value of culturally adapted, digitally supported care models. Conclusions: Developmental care interventions significantly improve outcomes for preterm infants and families. Future research should focus on standardizing outcomes, ensuring long-term follow-up, and applying implementation frameworks to develop scalable, context-specific care models.
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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.