Early Intervention with Medically Fragile Infants: Investigating the Age-at-Start Question

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Abstract
Very few studies have investigated the age at which early intervention should begin. Similarly few studies have examined the effects of early intervention for infants who are medically fragile. The present study responds to these two critical issues by longitudinally comparing groups of infants who are medically fragile. These infants were randomly assigned to receive developmentally appropriate programs beginning at either 3- or 18-months adjusted age. Analysis of measures of child development and family functioning for the first three annual assessments indicated that the two groups were similar on measures of child functioning at the first and second assessment. However, at the third assessment, children who received the intervention at an earlier age scored significantly higher than did children whose intervention began 15 months later. No significant group differences were found on measures of family functioning at any of the assessments. Implications of these results for future research and practice are discussed.

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