Developmental Care of Premature

Although advances in the technical care of neonates have enabled smaller premature babies to survive, neurodevelopmental sequelae continue to be a major source of morbidity partly due to the stressful environment of the intensive care unit.
Using a neurodevelopmental systems framework, this book critically analyses the recent literature on developments in supportive care for preterm babies, and identifies nursing care issues including handling, massage, positioning, noise and lighting - all of which have been shown to affect development. The book also provides a developmental care protocol for nursing preterm infants from which individualized care plans be developed in response to behavioural cues, response to environmental stimuli, and caregiving interventions.