The use of waterbeds for very low-birthweight infants: effects on neuromotor development

Abstract

One hundred and seven infants aged < 32 weeks of gestation were stratified according to birthweight and randomly assigned to either a waterbed group (N = 53) or a mattress group (N = 54). All the infants were assessed on removal from the surface: 68 infants at 40 weeks gestation and 52 infants at four, eight, 12 and 18 months adjusted age. At the 18-month assessment, outcome was classified as normal, suspicious or abnormal. There were no significant differences between the groups at any age. The results suggest that the use of the waterbed as a positional surface in the neonatal intensive-care unit has no influence on the motor development of very low-birthweight infants.