Objectives: Preterm birth and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) would disrupt mother-infant attachment. Neurodevelopmental care training and support of family programs are essential for the family of such infants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Neurodevelopmental care training program for mothers with preterm infants on mother-infant attachment at one month’ s age. Materials and Methods: Study population included all the mothers of preterm infants born in the hospitals of Tehran in 2018. The research was designed as a multicenter cluster clinical trial and four hospitals were randomly selected and divided into intervention and control groups. Before the intervention, the mother-infant attachment was measured by the Maternal-Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS). The mothers in the intervention group received a 12-session preterm infant Neurodevelopmental care training program while the control group only received the routine care in the unit. Finally, the mother-infant attachment was re-measured in both groups at the one month corrected age. Results: No significant difference was observed in the attachment score before and after the intervention in the control group but the mother-infant attachment score was significantly different in the intervention group (57. 75± 11. 09 vs. 78. 27± 4. 54). Conclusions: The Neurodevelopmental care training program was effective and increased the mother-infant attachment rate.

Background: Premature birth and subsequent admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may impair the neurodevelopment of neonates. The present study aimed to determine the effect of developmental care on Neurodevelopmental outcomes of newborns. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 105 premature neonates (in three groups of 35 newborns). The control group received conventional care, and the intervention group 1 received developmental care beginning since admission to NICU stay. In addition, the intervention group 2 received developmental care since entering the delivery or operating room. The developmental outcomes were evaluated based on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and Bayley-III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. Moreover, magnetic resonance imaging was performed to evaluate the brain myelination at the adjusted age of 12 months. Results: The obtained findings showed that the frequency rates of communication and language impairment were significantly lower in the intervention group 2, compared to those reported for the control group and intervention group 1, based on the ASQ. The comparison of the scores of the Bayley subscales (i. e., cognition, language, and motor) showed that the frequency of language impairment was significantly higher in the control group, compared to those reported for the intervention group 1 (P=0. 012) and intervention group 2 (P=0. 024). No significant difference was observed in terms of the neonates’ brain myelination (P>0. 05). Conclusion: The obtained results showed that developmental care, especially when initiated since birth, may improve some aspects of developmental outcomes in preterm newborns.

Background:Cognitive development during childhood has significant implications for an individual's cognitive functioning throughout life. Perinatal and postnatal factors may influence this function. Objectives:In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between perinatal and postnatal factors and cognitive development in healthy toddlers aged 18 – 22 months. Methods:In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we examined 50 toddlers born between March 2015 and March 2016 at a teaching hospital in Zahedan, Iran. This study focused on perinatal and neonatal risk factors based on the results of the Bayley-3 test. Data were analyzed using Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis, and Pearson correlation coefficient tests. Results:Analysis revealed significant correlations between several perinatal factors and subsequent cognitive performance in toddlers. Greater maternal chronological age at the time of parturition, higher levels of mother's attained education, increased neonatal weight at delivery, augmented body weight in the toddler phase, as well as the documented occurrence of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia within the initial postpartum period, demonstrated meaningful associations with enhanced cognitive functioning as assessed during the toddler stage of development. Conclusions:Based on the results, it is advised that pregnancy commences at a maternal age that circumvents risks of very young childbearing. Offspring growth should be closely tracked, and neonatal jaundice promptly treated, as these perinatal factors impact cognitive performance. Giving priority to these factors improves a child's chances of healthy cognitive development, which is essential for success in life.