A 3-Year Early Home Intervention Follow-up Study with Low Birthweight Infants and Their Parents

The long-term effects of early home intervention with very low birthweight (VLBW, less than 1,500 g) and high birthweight (HBW, 1,501 to 2,000 g) preterm infants were investigated at 5 years of age. Outcome measures were obtained on the children's development and the caretaking environ-ment. On the Minnesota Child Development Inventory, an inventory com-pleted by the mother, the VLBW control children scored lower than children in the other groups in expressive language, comprehension, and personal-social skills. A similar pattern was observed in visual-motor skills. In addition, the home environment scores of the treatment children were significantly higher than those of the control children. Because the sample of VLBW children was small, replication of the birthweight by treatment interaction is suggested for further research. Despite study limitations, the results provide evidence of the long-term benefits of early home interven-tion with biologically at-risk children. Studies on the effects of premature birth on children's physical, cognitive, and academic performance have consistently found that many prematurely born children are at a significant disadvantage com-pared to their full-term counterparts (e.g., Barrera, Rosenbaum, &amp