Supplementary Tables

Table 1.Medical, Anthropometric and Demographic Background Variablesa

Variable / Control (C)
(n = 18) / Experimental (E)
(n = 12) / p
Gestational age (GA) at birth (w) / 31.69 (2.39) / 32.06 (2.28) / 0.68
Birthweight (g) / 1122 (336) / 1083 (343) / 0.76
Birthweight (%) / 2.44 (0.62) / 1.92 (0.79) / 0.07
Birth Head Circumference (cm) / 26.78 (2.24) / 26.27 (2.35) / 0.56
Birth Head Circumference (%) / 2.33 (1.03) / 2.00 (1.13) / 0.42
Apgar Scores: 1 minute
5 minutes / 6.39 (1.91)
7.89 (1.18) / 5.67 (2.06)
7.67 (0.99) / 0.34
0.58
FIO2First 48 hours: mean
max / 0.23 (0.04)
0.41 (0.30) / 0.24 (0.07)
0.43 (0.31) / 0.59
0.85
SNAPPE-II39 / 7.28 (6.00) / 7.75 (7.29) / 0.85
NTISS40 / 11.50 (6.97) / 12.75 (8.00) / 0.66
Maternal age (years) / 32.78 (6.50) / 36.17 (4.73) / 0.11
Obstetric Complication Scale41 Scores / 56.78 (10.18) / 53.50 (6.90) / 0.30
Prenatal Corticosteroids, No. Yes / no / 16 / 2 / 9 / 3 / 0.36b
Vaginal Deliveries, No. yes/no / 1 / 17 / 1 / 11 / 1.00b
Patent Ductus Arteriosus, No. Yes / no / 1 / 17 / 2 / 10 / 0.55b
Surfactant, No. Yes / no / 4 / 14 / 4 / 8 / 0.68b
Gender, No. Males/Females / 9 / 9 / 6 / 6 / 1.00b
Firstborn/Later-born, No. / 13 / 5 / 8 / 4 / 1.00 b
Caucasian / Black / Hispanic / Others, No. / 13 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 8 / 1 / 0 / 3 / 0.66c
Social Class: I & II / III, IV / V,42 No. / 12 / 5 / 1 / 9 / 2 / 1 / 0.77c
Parents Married or Attached, No. yes / no / 17 / 1 / 12 / 0 / 1.00 b
Summary Analysis: Multivariate Analysis of Variance, F=0.71; df=22,7;p= 0.75
aResults are means and (standard deviations) unless otherwise noted. Statistical analyses used are Brown-Forsythe Univariate Analysis of Variance: F*, bFisher’s Exact Test, and c Pearson’s Chi Square: 2. p = probability. All probabilities are two-tailed.
Table 2.Medical Variables, 2 Weeks Corrected Age (2wCA)
Variable / Control (C)
(n=18) / Experimental (E) (n=12) / p
Days on mechanical ventilation / 4.78 (13.39) / 7.00 (16.07) / 0.70
Average daily weight gain from birth to 2 weeks post EDC (g) / 27 (7) / 27 (8) / 0.92
Days on oxygen / 14.17 (29.84) / 17.50 (31.81) / 0.78
Days before bottle–feeding / 33.50 (25.20) / 28.50 (23.31) / 0.58
Age post LMP at discharge (wk) / 38.56 (2.32) / 37.98 (1.93) / 0.46
Days in hospital / 48.39 (29.94) / 41.92 (26.68) / 0.54
Pediatric Complication Scale score (mean = 100; sd = 20) / 70.56 (15.65) / 67.25 (12.08) / 0.52
Pneumothorax
Absent /Present / 17 / 1 / 11 / 1 / 1.00 a
Intraventricular Hemorrhage
None / Grade I / II / III / IV / 12 / 6 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 11 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0.19 a
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: None/ Mild to Moderate (Stage I-II) /Moderate to Severe (III-IV) / 15 / 0 / 3 / 9 / 1 / 2 / 0.46 b
Retinopathy of Prematurity:
None / Mild to Moderate (Stage I, II, III) / Severe (IV,V) / 14 / 3 / 1 / 11 / 1 / 0 / 0.55b
Summary Analysis: Multivariate Analysis of Variance, F =1.02; df = 11, 18; p = 0.47. Results are means and (standard deviations). Statistical analyses used are Brown-Forsythe Univariate Analysis of Variance: F*, unless otherwise noted; aFisher’s Exact Test, b Cramer’s V, p = probability. All probabilities are two-tailed.
Table 3. Anthropometric Variables (Absolute and Percentiles), 2 Weeks Corrected Age (2wCA)
Variable / Control (C)
(n=18) / Experimental (E)
(n=12) / p
Metric
Weight, g / 2946 (492) / 2918 (603) / 0.89
Length, cm / 47.15 (3.03) / 47.28 (3.60) / 0.92
Head Circumference, cm / 35.41 (1.40) / 34.62 (1.31) / 0.13
Percentilesa
Weight percentile / 6.00 (7.20) / 8.58 (10.29) / 0.46
Length percentile / 8.78 (15.66) / 9.08 (12.62) / 0.95
Head Circumference percentile / 34.17 (21.96) / 20.17 (18.98) / 0.07
aSummary analysis on percentiles: Multivariate Analysis of Variance, F = 3.03; df = 3, 26; p = 0.05.
Results are means and (standard deviations). Statistical analyses used are Brown-Forsythe One-Way Analysis of Variance: F*; p = probability. All probabilities are two-tailed.
Table 4. Assessment of Preterm Infants’ Behavior (APIB)System Scores, 2 Weeks Corrected Age (2wCA)
Variable
/ Control (C)
(n = 18) /

Experimental (E)

(n = 12)

/ p
Autonomic system / 6.86 (0.68) / 5.54 (1.18) / 0.003
Motor system / 6.93 (0.57) / 5.89 (1.22) / 0.02
State system / 5.77 (1.33) / 5.32 (0.59) / 0.22
Attention system / 7.61 (1.05) / 7.36 (1.16) / 0.55
Self-regulation system / 6.90 (0.66) / 6.01 (0.78) / 0.004
Examiner facilitation / 7.81 (1.12) / 6.79 (1.60) / 0.07
Summary Analysis: Multivariate Analysis of Variance, F = 5.95; df = 6,23; p =0.0007
Results are means and (standard deviations). Score range 1-9, higher scores represent more poorly organized performance. Statistical analyses used are Brown-Forsythe One-Way Analysis of Variance: F*. p = probability. All probabilities are two-tailed. Note: p values in bold indicate significant differences
Table 5.Prechtl Neurological Examination Summary and Total Scores, 2 weeks Corrected Age (2wCA)
Variable
/ Control (C)
(n = 18) /

Experimental (E)

(n = 12)

/ p
Trunk and limb posture (0-6) / 1.83 (1.20) / 1.17 (0.94) / 0.10
Motility (0-2) / 1.28 (0.58) / 0.75 (0.62) / 0.03
Pathological movements (0-11) / 3.50 (2.09) / 3.67 (2.06) / 0.83
Motor system tone (0-2) / 1.11 (0.47) / 0.92 (0.52) / 0.31
Intensity of responses (0-2) / 0.89 (0.32) / 0.50 (0.52) / 0.03
Threshold of responses (0-1) / 0.94 (0.24) / 0.55 (0.52) / 0.03
Moro response (0-2) / 1.47 (0.72) / 0.91 (0.94) / 0.11
State stability (0-1) / 0.83 (0.38) / 0.50 (0.52) / 0.07
Crying (0-2) / 1.17 (0.51) / 0.83 (0.84) / 0.23
Hemi-Syndrome (0-14) / 2.44 (2.46) / 1.50 (3.06) / 0.38
Syndromes of abnormal reactivity (0-2) / 1.33 (0.49) / 0.92 (0.79) / 0.12
Total Prechtl (% abnormal) / 38.16 (8.90) / 27.65 (17.46) / 0.07
Summary Analysis: Multivariate Analysis of Variance, F = 1.29; df = 12,17; p = 0.31.
Results are means and (standard deviations). Higher scores represent less desirable behavior. Statistical analysis used is Brown-Forsythe One-Way Analysis of Variance: F*. p = probability.All probabilities are two-tailed. Note: p values in bold indicate significant differences.
Table 6.Assessment of Preterm Infants’ Behavior (APIB) and Prechtl Factor Scores, 2 Weeks Corrected Age(2wCA)
Variable
/ Control (C)
(n = 18) /

Experimental (E)

(n = 12)

/ p
Factor 1. State Regulation and Attention Competence / -0.45 (0.78) / -0.37 (0.72) / 0.77
Factor 2. Disorganization Of Motor System / 0.57 (0.70) / -0.01 (0.89) / 0.07
Factor 3. Insensitivity and Hypersensitivity / 1.19 (0.46) / 0.46 (1.02) / 0.04
Factor 4. Irritability/Arousal / 0.33 (0.71) / -0.15 (1.01) / 0.17
Factor 5. Asymmetry/Hemi-Syndrome / 0.62 (1.08) / 0.52 (1.50) / 0.85
Factor 6. Pull To Sit / -0.06 (0.85) / 0.28 (1.09) / 0.38
Factor 7. Attention Expressivity / 1.01 (0.80) / 1.37 (1.07) / 0.34
Factor 8. Motor System Self-Regulatory Efforts / 0.15 (0.92) / 0.57 (0.73) / 0.18
Summary Analysis: Multivariate Analysis of Variance, F = 2.28; df = 8,21; p = 0.06
Results are means and (standard deviations). Statistical analysis used is Brown-Forsythe One-Way Analysis of Variance: F*. p = probability.All probabilities are two-tailed. Note: p values in bold indicate significant differences.
Table 7. Medical Variables, 9 Months Corrected Agea(9mCA)
Variable / Control (C)
(n=18) / Experimental (E)
(n=12) / p
No. of days in hospital since 2wCA / 1.67 (2.91) / 0.50 (0.80) / 0.12
Number of infections since 2wCA / 2.47 (1.74) / 2.25 (2.67) / 0.80
Number of severe illnesses requiring hospitalization since 2wCA / 0.39 ( 0.78) / 0.25 (0.62) / 0.59
Number of days on oxygen since 2wCA / 5.0 (22.36) / 0.1 (0.30) / 0.32
Number of current diagnoses / 1.17 (1.51) / 0.92 (1.38) / 0.64
Life Events Schedule43 score (range 0.00-1.00) / 0.24 (0.09) / 0.25 (0.18) / 0.74
Pediatric Complication Scale44 score (mean = 100; sd = 20) (higher scores are better) / 93.06 (26.47) / 110.08 (32.26) / 0.15
Description of child:
Easy, moderately easy, moderately difficult / 1,13,3 / 1,8,3 / 0.84b
Enrollment in early intervention: yes/no / 8/10 / 6/6 / 0.56c
Maternal health: good/difficulties / 9/9 / 10/2 / 0.12c
Summary Analysis: Multivariate Analysis of Variance, F = 1.06; df = 10,17; p = 0.44. aResults are means and (standard deviations) unless otherwise noted. Statistical analyses used Brown-Forsythe One-Way Analysis of Variance: F*, unless otherwise noted. bPearson’s Chi Square Test: 2; cFisher’s Exact Test: FET; p = probability. All probabilities are two-tailed.
Table 8. Anthropometric Variables, 9 Months Corrected Agea (9mCA)
Variable / Control (C)
(n=18) / Experimental (E)
(n=12) / p
Absolute Measurements
Weight, kg / 7.74 (0.97) / 7.28 (1.18) / 0.28
Length, cm / 68.74 (3.31) / 68.16 (4.01) / 0.68
Head Circumference, cm / 44.67 (1.68) / 44.02 (1.62) / 0.30
Percentilesa
Weight at 9months / 18.72 (22.03) / 9.75 (11.64) / 0.16
Length at 9months / 21.78 (23.02) / 19.58 (18.48) / 0.78
Head Circumference / 34.44 (27.63) / 23.83 (27.23) / 0.31
aSummary analysis on percentile growth measures: Multivariate Analysis of Variance, F = 0.78; df = 3,26; p = 0.51
Results are means and (standard deviations). Statistical analyses used are Brown-Forsythe One-Way Analysis of Variance: F*. p = probability. All probabilities are two-tailed.