Developmental Supports for Newborns and Young Infants with Special Health and Developmental Needs and Their Families: The BABIES Model

Fragile newborns and young infants who are born with a likelihood of lingering developmental concerns require specialized assessment and intervention based on their unique developmental needs. Often these infants are identified as categorically eligible for early intervention and nursing services, based on their medical condition at birth. The medical involvement of many of these infants adds complexity to the evaluation and/or provision of services, let alone how to best provide supports for their families. Increasing data regarding the regulatory disorganization of young infants which leads to later cognitive and mental health challenges provide a rationale for appropriate assessment and intervention strategies for this population. A recent survey of educational needs of Colorado professionals working with this population revealed that many early intervention providers felt only “slightly” prepared to evaluate newborns and young infants and that most providers felt they could benefit from more training on assessment and intervention with this population. Best practice for this increasing population includes specialized and evidence-based training and capacity building necessary to prepare professionals to evaluate, intervene, and support their unique fragility and emerging developmental competencies. The current study describes the development and components of the BABIES approach to supporting early intervention professionals and nurses to best integrate relationship based developmental supports for fragile newborns and young infants.