Improving parent-infant interactions for preterm infants during early intervention

Evaluating changes in parent infant interaction during early intervention: Diversity Supplement for 1R03HD113705-01Sharing Developmental, Meta, and Video Data from Preterm Infants Enrolled in the SPEE

NIH-funded research University of Southern California · NIH-11193097

This study is all about helping parents connect and play with their very preterm babies, who might need a little extra support to grow and develop, by teaching them fun ways to interact before they leave the hospital and continue at home.

Quick facts

Grant typeR03 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Southern California NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11193097 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research focuses on enhancing the interactions between parents and their very preterm infants, who are at risk for developmental disabilities. It utilizes an evidence-based intervention called Supporting Play Exploration and Development Intervention (SPEEDI), which trains parents to recognize their infant's cues and engage in meaningful play. Parents will participate in sessions before their infant is discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and will continue to provide daily play-based enrichment at home with support from physical therapists. The goal is to improve developmental outcomes by fostering early motor and cognitive skills.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are parents of infants born very preterm (less than 32 weeks of gestation).

Not a fit: Patients who do not have infants born very preterm or those who are not engaged in early intervention programs may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved developmental outcomes for preterm infants and better parent-infant bonding.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown that early interventions can significantly improve developmental outcomes for preterm infants, suggesting that this approach is promising.

Where this research is happening

Los Angeles, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired brain injury
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.