Feasibility study of early intervention provider confidence following a neurobehavioural intervention for high-risk newborns

Study purpose: Early intervention (EI) can ameliorate neurobehavioural difficulties and parental psychosocial distress. Often, EI service providers are not trained to address the unique needs of the high risk parent-infant dyad. The purpose of this study was to describe provider confidence and knowledge following delivery of a neurobehavioural intervention for high-risk newborns. Methods: This feasibility study was a multi-site, randomised controlled trial of newborns referred to EI. The intervention group received weekly home visits by a service provider certified in the Newborn Behavioural Observation (NBO) - a neurobehavioural intervention. The control group received usual care. Eighteen EI providers completed the Index of Practitioner Knowledge and Skills (IPKS). Results: EI providers did not differ on socio-demographic characteristics, discipline, or experience between the intervention and usual care groups. In mixed linear regression models, the NBO group demonstrated higher confidence scores (mean difference = 2.2, 95% CI: 0.54, 3.87). Conclusion: Integrating a neurobehavioural intervention into EI service delivery may be associated with higher perceived confidence among service providers in their ability to work with high-risk newborns.