Childhood After Preterm Birth: The Preschool Years

描述(申请人提供)：在过去的十年中，早产婴儿的存活率有了显著的提高--即怀孕不到37周。随着越来越多的婴儿离开新生儿重症监护病房回家，我们才开始认识到这些幼儿在婴幼儿时期的特殊需求。父母和幼儿提供者(早期干预专家、日托提供者和幼儿教育工作者、护士、儿科医生、社会工作者)都可以做得更好，如果他们知道应该期待什么以及如何帮助他们。在这个SBIR项目中，Vida Health Communications，Inc.将制作、评估和分发一个多媒体包，《早产后的童年：头三年》。多媒体包将利用DVD和网络技术经过验证和特定的优势，并将使用与真实家庭的视频会面。它将由三部分组成：(1)DVD提供商培训计划将传达有关早产婴儿和蹒跚学步儿童在认知、视觉和运动技能、言语和语言以及执行功能等方面的可能需求的信息。它将提供并说明有效的战略，以供提供者用于指导和支持父母。一个基于网络的组成部分将包括一个提供继续教育学分的测试单元。(2)为早产幼儿父母制作的西班牙语和英语配套DVD节目，将以通俗易懂的方式解释婴幼儿的发展历程，以及可能对早产儿童构成挑战的特殊需求类型。它还将为家长提供和说明有效的战略，以监测和促进他们的孩子的发展，并为孩子的学龄前阶段获得适当的资源。(3)光盘和VIDA网站上的电子资料图书馆供供应商印刷和分发给父母，适用于各种不同的识字水平。在第一阶段，制片人将为提供商和父节目开发内容，并制作媒体和印刷材料的原型，然后使用代表目标受众的焦点小组对其进行评估。评估者将使用有充分记录的定性技术来分析焦点小组数据。该项目将促进对为有特殊需要的儿童及其家庭提供服务的幼儿提供者的培训。它还将在适当的识字水平上为父母提供急需的教育，教他们如何为孩子的上学做准备。在过去的十年中，早产婴儿的存活率有了很大的提高--即怀孕不足37周。随着越来越多的婴儿离开新生儿重症监护病房回家，我们才开始认识到这些幼儿在婴幼儿时期的特殊需求。父母和幼儿提供者(早期干预专家、日托提供者和幼儿教育工作者、护士、儿科医生、社会工作者)都可以做得更好，如果他们知道应该期待什么以及如何帮助他们。这项研究将有助于了解幼儿提供者如何与早产儿童的父母合作，以便他们共同提高儿童健康、正常发展的机会。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the past decade, there has been dramatic improvement in the survival rate of infants born preterm - i.e., after a pregnancy of less than 37 weeks. As more of these infants leave the neonatal intensive care unit for home, we are just beginning to recognize the special needs of these young children as infants and toddlers. Parents and early childhood providers (early intervention specialists, daycare providers and early childhood educators, nurses, pediatricians, social workers) can all do a better job if they know what to expect and how to help. In this SBIR project, Vida Health Communications, Inc. will produce, evaluate and distribute a multi-media package, Childhood After Preterm Birth: The First Three Years. The multi-media package will draw on the proven and specific advantages of DVD and web technologies, and will use videotaped encounters with real families. It will consist of three components: (1) A provider training program on DVD will convey information about the likely needs of infants and toddlers who were born preterm in areas such as cognition, visual and motor skills, speech and language, and executive function. It will provide and illustrate effective strategies for providers to use to guide and support the parents. A web-based component will include a test unit offering continuing education credits. (2) A companion DVD program, in Spanish and English, for parents of young children born preterm will explain in lay terms the developmental course of infants and toddlers, and types of special needs that potentially challenge children born preterm. It will also provide and illustrate effective strategies for parents to monitor and enhance their child's development, and to garner appropriate resources for the child's preschool years. (3) An electronic library of materials on CD-ROM and Vida's web site for providers to print and distribute to parents will be suitable for widely varying literacy levels. In Phase I, the producers will develop the content for both the provider and parent programs, and produce prototypes of the media and print materials, which will then be evaluated using focus groups representative of the target audiences. Evaluators will use well-documented qualitative techniques to analyze focus group data. This project will advance the training of early childhood providers serving children with special needs and their families. It will also provide much needed education, at appropriate literacy levels, for parents about ways to prepare for the child's school years. In the past decade, there has been dramatic improvement in the survival rate of infants born well before term - i.e., after a pregnancy of less than 37 weeks. As more of these infants leave the neonatal intensive care unit for home, we are just beginning to recognize the special needs of these young children as infants and toddlers. Parents and early childhood providers (early intervention specialists, daycare providers and early childhood educators, nurses, pediatricians, social workers) can all do a better job if they know what to expect and how to help. This research will contribute to knowledge of how early childhood providers can work with parents of children born preterm, so together they can improve the child's chance of healthy, normal development.