Contribution of early intervention and early caregiving experiences to resilience in low-birthweight, premature children living in poverty

Examined the Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) and the quality of care experienced at home by premature, low-birthweight children (LBW) living in poverty. Only 26 of 243 LBW children (11%) who received no intervention were identified as functioning in the normal range for cognitive, social/adaptive, health, and growth parameters at age 3 compared to 59 out of 153 (39%) from the intervention group. LBW children who showed early signs of resiliency differed from nonresilient children in that they were receiving more responsive, accepting, stimulating, organized care in their own homes; and they were living in safer, less crowded homes. Overall, premature, LBW children born into poverty have a very poor prognosis of functioning within normal ranges in all domains of development. However, those reared in a setting with three or more protective factors and those who participated in the IHDP intervention more often showed early signs of resiliency.