OBLIGATION AND OPTION IN THE PREMATURE NURSERY

Designs for environmental enrichment for prematures have been guided primarily by deficit and deprivation models. Interventions have varied widely in their nature, results have been contradictory, and there is even lack of agreement as to which outcomes may be interpreted as "beneficial." Accordingly, nursery practices change frequently and often without evidence for the effectiveness of a new procedure. We propose new perspectives on intervention based on the assumptions that (a) prematures are biologically prepared for interaction with the environment, and (b) stimulation should be adapted to the needs of each individual. As an example, a form of optional rhythmic stimulation is described, one which reflects the baby′s own biological rhythms. We found that prematures are capable of regulating the amount and temporal parameters of their stimulation and of learning about events in their environment. We conclude that new directions for the design of environments for prematures are emerging from the growing evidence for their complexity, their competence, and the distinctiveness of their status and needs from those of either a fetus or a full-term infant. © 1993 Academic Press. All rights reserved.