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“These results have several implications for future early-intervention program initiatives. First, our findings suggest that programmatic efforts need to distinguish between heavier and lighter LBW infants. The program did help children with birth weights of 2000g or less at age 3 years, but, clearly, the effects were smaller and not sustained. The lighter LBW group may contain a higher proportion of neurologically impaired children who could not benefit from the intervention”(131).
“Second, assessments need to be refined enough to detect qualitative differences between heavier and lighter LBW infants. For example, maternal reports of attention deficit or distractibility may reflect environmental conditions for the heavier LBW child but may be related to neurological impairment in the lighter LBW child. The heavier LBW child may respond to changes in environment that the mother can control, but the lighter LBW child may need a more structured and professionally designed situation”(131).
“Third, the lack of sustained effect may reflect the need for different or continued support of lighter LBW children. It is the task of future research to characterize the populations needing ongoing support; to explore the type, intensity, and duration of interventions needed to produce sustained effects; and to develop policies to implement such interventions. Finally, the corresponding low mean IQ scores and high rates of school failure of LBW children underscore the importance of public health efforts to reduce premature births”(131).
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