Effectiveness of hospital-based developmental care interventions for improving neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants during the first 2 years at corrected age: a systematic review protocol

Abstract

Objective: – This review will assess the effectiveness of hospital-based developmental care interventions for improving preterm infants’ neurodevelopmental outcomes during the first 2 years at corrected age. Introduction: – Preterm infants exhibit physical and physiological immaturity, along with exposure to an unfavorable extrauterine environment, both of which significantly increase the risk of developmental impairments. Developmental care encompasses a broad range of interventions to optimize neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, the effectiveness of these interventions for improving preterm infants’ neurodevelopmental outcomes during the first 2 years at corrected age remains unclear. Eligibility criteria: – This review will examine primary experimental and quasi-experimental studies of hospital-based developmental care interventions and their impact on preterm infants’ neurodevelopmental outcomes during the first 2 years at corrected age. The interventions will include environmental adjustments, sensory modification, proper positioning and handling, parental involvement, and other specialized practices, without being limited to the use of standardized tests for assessing cognitive, behavioral, and motor development of preterm infants. The review will include studies comparing these developmental care interventions with various control groups, including standard care or alternative interventions not classified as developmental care. Methods: – This review will follow the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness. The search strategy will aim to locate both published and unpublished primary experimental studies, without publication date or language restrictions. Six databases will be searched, including PubMed, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Embase (Ovid), PsycINFO (EBSCOhost), Cochrane CENTRAL, and Web of Science Core Collection. Sources of unpublished studies and gray literature will include ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, OATD, and WHO ICTRP. Two independent reviewers will perform study selection, critical appraisal, and data extraction, with the results presented through narrative synthesis. Where feasible, a meta-analysis will be conducted, and the findings will be evaluated using the GRADE approach. Review registration: – PROSPERO CRD42024619912