NICE guidance for developmental follow-up of children born preterm

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline Developmental Follow-up of Children and Young People Born Preterm highlights potential risk factors to infant development and recommends enhanced surveillance and monitoring for infants born at less than 28 weeks’ gestation once discharged from the neonatal unit until four years uncorrected age. The guideline also recognises the importance of being able to provide parents and carers with the best available evidence about the developmental needs of infants born prematurely.

Celia Harding
PhD, MRCSLT, HCPC
Speech and Language Therapist, Royal Free Hospitals NHS Trust and Senior Lecturer, City, University of London
Member of the NICE Guideline NG72 Committee

Abigail Levin
MSc, MRCSLT, HCPC
Senior Lecturer, City, University of London

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Keywords

NICE Guideline NG72; infant development; developmental follow-up; surveillance

Also published in Infant:

VOLUME 14/ISSUE 5, SEPTEMBER 2018

Maternally-administered massage and weight gain in preterm and low birthweight infants: a systematic review

Early tactile experiences have long-term effects on preterm infants’ sensory performance. Weight gain is key to infant development; while research confirms that massage impacts positively on weight gain in this population, most of the literature focuses on massage administered by health professionals/researchers. This review aims to examine whether massage provided by an infant’s mother impacts on weight gain in preterm and/or low birthweight infants.