OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness of Child Development Centre (CDC) model early stimulation therapy done in the first year of postnatal life, in improving the developmental outcome of at-risk neonates at one and two years of age.

DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial.

SETTING AND SUBJECTS: The study participants included a consecutive sample of 800 babies discharged alive from the level II nursery of Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.

INTERVENTION: The control group received routine postnatal check-up as per hospital practice. Intervention group in addition received CDC model early stimulation therapy (home-based).

RESULTS: The intervention group of babies had a statistically significant higher score for mental developmental index (MDI) and psychomotor developmental index (PDI) at one and two years of age. After adjusting all significant risk factors for development, the babies who had intervention had significantly higher Bayley scores, 5.8 units at one year and 2.8 units at two year, as compared to control babies.

CONCLUSION: Early stimulation therapy was effective at one year. The beneficial effect also persisted at two years, without any additional interventions in the second year.

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