Along with advances in research and technology in the medical sector, developmental care has been one of the influential factors that have led to the increasing survival rates of premature babies. Preterm infants may develop different complicacies as they do not undergo the complete fetal development process. They are mostly born before or during the brain development period, which is a very critical stage. Developmental care focuses on working towards creating a stress-free environment for infants and maximizing neurological development. It helps in reducing cognitive as well as behavioral problems. It is very important to consider all aspects of development: physical, social, emotional, or intellectual. Premature or sick infants need extra care, and attention and an individualized approach are essential. As developmental care, it is necessary for promoting neurosensory integration. It helps prevent long-term neurodevelopmental complications. 

Why is it important?

Prematurely born infants admitted in neonatal care units possess some fetal complicacies. This can be attributed to the fact that there is a massive difference between intra-uterine life and extra-uterine life. Also, it becomes quite stressful for the baby to separate from the mother physically at an early stage. Stressful conditions can affect the neural development and overall growth of the infant. Emotional maturity also gets affected.

The infant faces unknown stimulations like noise, bright light, and due to his medical conditions, he may not defend against external aggressions. Communicating needs also becomes tough. But infants do communicate through different behavioral cues and gestures. Developmental care specialist interact with the infants, decode these and respond to their needs accordingly. It becomes easier to create an attachment with the baby through developmental care and help the family bond better.

Duties of Developmental Care Specialists

Developmental care specialists try their best to reduce long-term issues and assess the infant's condition through different neurobehavioral observations. This helps to develop a cue-based care system and appropriate nursing environment that minimizes stressful conditions. Also, the emotional needs of the parents must be considered, and they must be involved in the process. As parents may get affected by the clinical conditions of their child, specialists in developmental care encourage and support them emotionally and help them understand their role.

They also try to minimize stress and promote physiological stimuli. As the newborns are not acquainted with noise, it is important to reduce the noise levels, particularly high frequencies. For the development of the sleep-wake rhythm, lighting conditions adjustment is crucial. It is exceedingly important to take care of the physiological and emotional needs of the infants at this stage. 

Thus, Developmental care specialist can be considered the principal point of collaboration as they develop and implement responsive programs and initiatives optimal for infant developmental recovery. They plan comprehensive neonatal treatment and therapies and develop supportive environments. Thus, they help in the promotion of the neurobehavioral organization.