Early Parenting Interventions to Enhance Development in Infants and Children Born Prematurely: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction Parenting interventions have the potential to become effective strategies for improving the developmental trajectories of infants and children born prematurely. However, the effectiveness of parenting interventions is not well understood. Methods A literature search was conducted in five databases. A total of 24 studies involving 3,636 participants were included for review. Results The results showed a significant effect in cognition, language, motor development, and behavioral problems of children born prematurely. Parenting stress, anxiety, and interactive behaviors showed significant effect size. Discussion This review focuses on interventions that employ scaffolding parenting strategies to enhance the development of children born prematurely. Efforts should continue to empower parents through effective and sustainable parenting interventions to improve the quality of life of preterm children.