Promoting infant development during neonatal hospitalization: critiquing the state of the science.

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Abstract
Contemporary neonatal intensive care units treat infants with very different medical conditions from those of a decade ago. Approaches to ensuring optimal outcome following high-risk birth must reflect the changing conditions and needs of these infants. This paper will review the cause and nature of change in infant status and attempt to reconcile the increasing demand for supporting stages of neuromaturation and social-emotional development during hospitalization with our current limited understanding of how fragile infants process and respond to interventions. Special cautions will be directed to well-meaning caregivers who may unwittingly jeopardize infant health and development by implementing new clinical models without empirical support. Opportunities for integrating psychosocial and medical care of these infants will also be highlighted.

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