Efficacy of Therapist Supported Interventions from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to Home: A Meta-Review of Systematic Reviews

Abstract

Infants born preterm or with complicated medical conditions requiring care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at high risk for long-term developmental disabilities. The transition from NICU to early intervention/outpatient settings results in a disruptive gap in a therapeutic intervention during a period of maximal neuroplasticity and development. This meta-review evaluated evidence from existing systematic reviews regarding therapeutic interventions that start in the NICU and continue at home with the goal of improving developmental outcomes for infants at high risk for cerebral palsy. We also evaluated the impact of these interventions on parents' mental health outcomes.

Keywords: Cerebral palsy; Early intervention; High-risk infants; Infant development; NICU; Parent mental health; Preterm infants.