• Dr N.Meena

Improving perinatal and neonatal care has led to increased survival of infants who are at-risk for long-term and chronic morbidities, but adverse outcome in low birth weight (LBW) infants continues to be high and has not much declined. Early detection of infants at high-risk is of paramount importance to assess their developmental status and for planning intervention to avoid secondary problems. A prospective, controlled trial was conducted to assess the effect of early physical therapy intervention on LBW infants. A cohort of 100 LBW infants who got admitted in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and referral newborn (RNB) of Raja Muthiah Medical College and hospital (RMMCH) were included prospectively. Infants who received regular early intervention were assigned as interventional group (EI) & infants who were advised but did not turn up for early intervention as control group (NEI). Early intervention (EI) consists of providing continuous multidisciplinary services to infants from birth throughout the first year of life. The Denver developmental screening test (DDST) was used and results were compared. The average level of the achievement in developmental domains for both groups and infants of <50th percentile and >50th percentile were also compared. Results: The data shows significant benefit in the achievement of developmental domains in EI group. Conclusion: The study suggests a positive effect of early intervention in the developmental outcome in EI group over NEI group of low birth weight infants.

Low birth weight infants, Early Intervention, Developmental outcome

"EFFECT OF EARLY INTERVENTION ON DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 12, page no.351-355, December-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1812A47.pdf

"EFFECT OF EARLY INTERVENTION ON DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 12, page no. pp351-355, December-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1812A47.pdf